Mirrors Repeat
by how does she do it
Summary: When the Adventure was over, the Mirror was supposed to send her back home. But Mirrors repeat, and it sends her back to the day before. The day when she and Hatter almost kissed, when she first found her father. It sends her the chance to change it all.
1. Chapter 1

Let the first time travel fic begin!!

Disclaimer: It all belongs to Syfy, I just play with it a bit.

Mirrors Repeat

Chapter 1

It was all over now. The Hearts Casino was destroyed, the Queen overthrown, and Jack was made King of Wonderland. It was time to go home. And to her surprise, Jack had purposed again, this time offering a throne to go with it. She privately marveled at his nerve, after all he did lie from almost day one, but the offer was quite nice. But she knew it wouldn't work, and told him so. He accepted it with good grace, and they parted on good terms. She even managed to hug him good bye.

At last she saw Hatter and it almost looked like he was trying to leave, but why? She even gave up the purple velvet coat that had come to mean so much to her, returning it to him. As they talked, everything she had hoped for with him came crashing down, and she was shocked at his words. But if he really meant it, why did he seem so let down? What was he really trying to say? She didn't understand.

And then the technician grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Hatter, hurrying her forward when all she wanted was to stop and look back. She wanted to see his face one more time, engrave it in her memory so she would never forget the man that had done so much for her. Alice tried to stop her momentum but by the time she could get her feet back she was shoved through the mirror. And then she was falling, flailing, the silver clouds and mercury rushing by in a thunderous rush.

Suddenly she felt something, a shift in the silver clouds like lightning in her path and then--

Alice gasped as she jumped up, nearly bouncing out of the old bed as she jerked under the quilt. Her gaze darted around trying to adjust to the sudden shift in light, almost uncomprehending as she could barely make out the forest lining the clearing around the night-time ruins of the Red King's Palace. "Wh-what?" she breathed shakily. "Where--you can't be serious, I'm here in the"--

Her words died away as she looked around. Charlie was there, sleeping in his hammock, teddy bear held tightly under his arm. The fire barely made noise as it was dying down to embers in the cool night air. She was still in that purple coat of Hatter's--

_Wait. Hatter. Where is Hatter? _She looked around, slipping out of the bed and taking trembling steps to where he'd slept before. But he wasn't there._ What is going on?! How the hell did I get back here?! The Looking Glass was supposed to send me home, not back to the Kingdom of Knights! But why is everything like it was two nights ago?! And where's Hatter? How did this happen?! Charlie, he might know!_

She went over to the hammock where he slept, shaking his shoulder. "Charlie? Charlie, wake up!"

"(Snort) Hmm, nonny, non...(snerrr)"

"Charlie!!" She shook him so hard he almost fell out of the hammock as he sat up in alarm. "What, what? What is it, Alice of Legend? Are there Suits afoot?!"

"No, no, Charlie," she said, "Listen, how did I get here? What happened? Didn't I go through the Mirror like I was supposed to?"

He stared at her sleepily. "My lady, I'm afraid I don't know what you are saying. Yourself and Harbinger told me that you came here through the Looking Glass to find that knavish Jack fellow, er, the one that lied to you about being the Queen's son, isn't he?"

"Yeah, that's Jack," she murmured. "But that was two days ago! Didn't we destroy the Casino? And Jack was made King, and he sent me to turn on the Mirror, did I not do it right?"

A bit of clarity came to the Knight's eyes as he looked at her. "Did you perchance dream that such things happened, my lady? Do you have any gift for the Mystical Arts? For if such things are to come to pass, what happy fortune it would be indeed! Why, if you are casting prophecy such as this, we are sure to win!!"

"So"--she mentally reeled at the words about to come out of her mouth--"So none of it happened? We still haven't found my father, and Jack's still a prisoner, and--and"--

"I am afraid so, dear Alice of Legend," the old man said softly, patting her hand. "But fear not! With your bold prediction of success, we are sure to be victorious!!"

"T-Thank you, Charlie, I'm sure I'll sleep better knowing that," she said absently, her mind a million miles away. "You get some sleep, it'll be a long day tomorrow."

"For certainty!" He cried. "Good night, Just Plain Alice." He flopped back down in the hammock, instantly asleep and snoring deeply again. Not for the first time, she wondered if he might be narcoleptic.

_None of it happened? Was it just a dream? _She stared around her as she made her way back to the bed, laying on top of the quilt. She knew she was far too wired to sleep now. _Could I have just imagined it? _Alice suddenly remembered her father, dying in her arms_--It can't be. It hurts too badly to be a dream! So then what happened? Did something go wrong with the mirror?_

_Wait_. She thought back to when the technicians were talking, back when the Suits had tried to banish her back to her world. They'd said something about calibrating the Looking Glass due to a temporal shift, or something. Now she was no genius, but she had watched enough Star Trek to have a basic idea of what that meant. Time had been shifting? Time was different between Wonderland and her world? She thought back to the book, the original story, when Alice had awoke from her sleep, she'd only been out for maybe an hour or two. But it had seemed like days to the girl. _Is that how it is? Time is longer here than in my world? Days here, but hours back home?_

Well, at least her mother wouldn't be worried that she'd disappeared like Dad. _Oh god, Dad. __**Daddy**__. _She felt her heart wrench in her chest and her stomach heave as the pain of that greif hit her. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She curled up, arms around her knees as the sobs rocked her body. Tears flowed, hot and bitter down her cheeks as she let out the sorrow of seeing her father die in her arms. Minutes, maybe hours passed as she cried, she didn't know. But when they finally stopped, she felt the smallest bit better.

Alice got up and went to the small creek that flowed by the campsite, splashing her face with the cold water. She took a long drink of the delicious stuff, feeling much more composed as she took deep breaths to center herself like her sensei had taught her back at the dojo. _Okay, okay now. Think. If you can jump between worlds, then time jumping around isn't that far fetched. If time had shifted when I went through, it certainly hasn't gone forward. It looks like I went back to the day before. Why? Was there something wrong with the Stone? Was it damaged and I just didn't know it? _

_More importantly, what now? If I am back in the past, and all signs seem to point to yes, then what can I do about it? Did it send me back for a reason? _She wondered about that. With what she knew now, she could change things, couldn't she? She could stop the ambush by Mad March, even--_I could save Dad. I could! If I pull him down before Walrus tried to shoot me, he won't get hurt! We can go home together! Assuming that we make it out of the Casino alive, but Hatter made sure--Hatter._

Her thoughts suddenly centered around Hatter. Why, why, why hadn't he wanted to come with her? He said he did before! What had changed? Was it something she'd said, something she'd done, hadn't done? Alice thought back to everything that had happened in their adventure and began to see a pattern. A rather ugly pattern that made her very, very angry. With herself.

"I never once thanked him," she said aloud in horror. "Everything he did, every time he got in danger or nearly killed, and I never said thank you for any of it!" She remembered the cuts and bruises on his face and hands when she'd seen him again in the Casino, remembered hearing the medics fuss over him after the Queen was led away, something about enduring--_Torture. Oh god, Dee and Dum __**tortured **__him and I--It must have looked like I didn't even care!_

And then there was the whole Jack fiasco! Oh lord, where to start about Jack? He'd used her to try and get to her father--Carpenter, to him, right? All to help the Resistance, which, while a noble purpose, was still false pretenses no matter how you looked at it. He was engaged to a gorgeous Duchess, lets not forget that. '_So he's two-timing you?' _Hatter's words echoed in her head. And the fact that he was the Queen's son was a huge shock. A Prince, for god's sake! The fact that he'd been lying to her since the moment he'd met her was a real killer. And then he'd had the gall to insist that she trust him? The nerve of that man!

Hatter, now granted, he'd lied a bit to her, but after the first two hours with him--_Everything was the truth_, she thought, stunned. After they'd escaped from the Great Library, he'd not lied to her since. And she hadn't trusted him, not one bit, 'til after he found her in the Casino the second time.

_My god, no wonder he didn't want anything else to do with me, _she thought in numb shock_. I must have seemed like the most ungrateful brat he'd ever met_.

But that would change. She would make sure of it. She would make sure he knew how grateful she was for him, how much she appreciated his efforts and all the things he'd done for her. She would save her father and bring him home, she knew she could.

Of course, all of this would be hard to do, regardless of future knowledge. Nothing in Wonderland was easy. It would be easier to get people to go along with it if she told them she'd seen it all happen in the future, but who would believe a crazy thing like that? She was pretty sure that even in Wonderland, time travel like hers was beyond belief. She'd have to pretend that things were new, or confusing to her, or someone could get suspicious. _Oh god, _she groaned mentally_, I'll have to act like I believe Jack again! But I can't act to save my life!_

_This is going to be much harder than I thought._


	2. Chapter 2

Wow. I so did not expect the response I got to this. I'm so thankful!! You guys rock!!

Oh, and don't worry. There is a lot more to come, not just my fav Halice moment! Alice intends to change a lot of things, and this is just the beginning!

....of course, nothing in Wonderland is easy. Some things are going to change on Alice too.

Chapter 2

Alice had spent the rest of that night in long thought, shifting through her memories of everything that happened to try and plan out what she could do as best she could. She thought about the looks and tones of voices when people had spoken, how they'd acted together, from her and Hatter to Duchess and Jack and her father. Even the actions of Charlie, Mad March, and the Queen, she went over everything she'd seen and heard.

She had some ideas, and prayed she didn't mess anything up. It had all worked out last time, but maybe this time, she really could save her father. The girl looked out to the valley below, seeing a figure coming through the woods that made her heart race. Hatter! He was...._my god, is he __**running**__? Did he run the entire length of the woods to get back here?_

His brown hat was at a tired-looking angle on his head as he approached the hill. He quickly jogged the rest of the way up the hill towards her. "Good news, the resistance wants to help. They're sending a special agent that will take us to see Caterpillar." He quickly turned to gaze back at the hill he'd just scaled, "Whew, that's-that's quite a –that's quite a steep hill."

She couldn't help her small smile at his flushed face and tired grin. Even with fatigue pouring off him, Hatter really was a good-looking man. Especially when he smiled. He seemed to misinterpret her look as his smile fell when he asked, "You okay?"

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming back," she said softly as she came near him, reaching out and brushing back an unruly lock of hair behind his ear.

His eyes went wide at her touch and he shifted a bit, "Y-You still don't trust me." It came out sounding more like a humorous statement than a straight-forward question.

"That's not what I meant," she said, her voice still soft as she pulled her hand back. "I was worried that you _couldn't _come back. That you'd been hurt and couldn't come back to us."

"Oh," he said, a bit of surprise clear in his voice. "Oh now, don't worry about me. I'm a resourceful fellow, you know. It takes quite a lot to get me down."

"I know," she said with a smile. "Its one of the things I like about you."

He froze. "You--you like me?"

"How soon til he gets here?" she asked suddenly, diverting his attention and praying he didn't see her blush. _Oh c'mon girl, don't loose your nerve now!!_

He looked somewhat confused at the jump in topics, "Er, those guys can move pretty fast when they need to. It shouldn't be long before they arrive."

They both looked down toward the valley where the resistance hid, each at a momentary loss for words.

"You're going to join them aren't you?" Alice asked. _That's what he'd said he'd do before, right? _She felt her heart jump in her throat at the idea of him going to war, fighting, maybe dying. "Fight along side of them?"

"I have to try. As Dodo's said, I've lived my life playing both sides of the court." He turned to her, "I made the Hearts think I was working for them, while I fed their enemies. Those days are over." He looked back down toward the valley.

Alice continued to stare at him. _I don't know what to say, _she thought in a panic that mercifully didn't show on her face. _Everything will start moving after this, I won't get a second chance; how the hell do I say this?!_

He jumped into action, "Well, come on, can't stand here all day, they'll be coming soon."

"Wait," she said, catching hold of his sleeve. He looked back at her expectantly, a curious tilt to his head to tell her to go on. "Can--I mean--will you do something for me?"

"Ah, sure, what do you need?" he asked. He didn't understand the pained smile she gave at his words and wanted to ask what was wrong when she spoke. "Will you close your eyes for a minute?"

He stared at her. "O--kay," he said slowly. "Shall I put my hands over my head too?"

She gave a short laugh, "No, no need for that, but you can put your arms out a bit if you want. Just please, close your eyes?" _I'm not brave enough to do this if you're looking at me. Stupid intimacy issues!!_

"Alright, Alice." He slowly closed his eyes and did move his arms out from his sides.

She was glad his eyes were closed as she was almost gaping at him. _He trusts me, _she marveled. _I know he wouldn't do that unless he trusts me and yet all this time I--_she stepped forward slowly as to not startle him and put her arms around him. Her hands slid around his sides under his coat and up his back, and her waist met his in a full embrace. He gasped as she pressed against him, one foot between his and her face tucked against the dip of his colloar bone. "A-Alice?" he asked shakily.

"Thank you," she said, her voice muffled by his coat. She breathed in his scent of sweat, leather, and spicy tea, wanting to drown in his warmth. "I haven't said it even once, after everything you've done, and I'm so sorry"--

"Alice"--

She pressed two fingers to his lips and it instantly silenced him, "Please Hatter, let me finish?" He nodded, struck dumb at the sensation of her hand on his face. Oh god, how was she doing this to him? Two inches of flesh meet, and his brains are about to come leaking out his ears!

She slid her fingers down from his mouth, shivering at the contrast of the softness of his lips to the rough stubble on his jaw. "Hatter, thank you. For this coat you gave me to keep me warm, for taking me to the Great Library to get help, even," she found a chuckle at the memory, "even if that didn't work out so good. Thank you for protecting me from Dodo,"_ --and taking a bullet even if you had body armor on, because in that case, it really is the thought that counts! _

Alice found her breath hitching in her chest and knew, just knew, she was going to cry, dammit. "And thank you for taking my hand when I was scared out there on the ledge. A-and for saving me from the Casino, and from the freaky twins in that terrible room, and just for taking care of me, Hatter. You didn't have to help me and you did. Thank you so much, (gasp) for everything you've done for me"--her throat closed against her words, the tears slipping down her cheeks despite her efforts not to cry.

She felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her even closer to him. "Oh no, its nothing, love, please don't. Shh, shh, sweet Alice, don't cry," he whispered softly. He couldn't stand the sight of her tears, it sent a terrible thrill of panic through him. She should never cry. One hand began to rub soothing circles on her back, the warmth from his hand burning through the coat she wore. She felt his thumb brush away the tears on her cheek, and she found herself leaning into his hand. When she felt warm lips kiss the crown of her head, she pulled back the smallest bit. The girl looked up into his warm chocolate eyes, feeling like she'd come home. _Hatter_.

He grinned back. "You're welcome," he said brightly, trying to make her smile.

She found herself laughing and didn't know why. "Hatter! I'm serious!"

_She's laughing! Success! _"What? If someone says thank you, you say 'you're welcome' back. At least, that's how we do it here, is it different in your world?" he asked cheekily.

She laughed again, nuzzling her cheek back against his chest and relishing the feel of the soft shirt he wore. He gasped as she laid a tiny kiss over his heart, and another over where the bullet had hit him just yesterday. _My god, what is she doing to me? _he thought in a haze. "You have no idea how good this feels," he said softly. He cupped her face in his hands, tilting her up to meet his lips.

He nearly groaned when she started talking but quickly paid attention at her words. "Are you sure I'm what you want? What will I do if I get stuck here?" she asked, her voice hesitant. _Did he mean what he said before?_

"Then I'll make sure you're okay," he promised.

She felt her heart crack at the husky timbre of his voice, heard the oath in his words and shivered at their worth. "Hatter, I come with a lot of baggage."

"Well, its a good thing I like bags. I think this means your luck is changing," he said, leaning down and kissing her before she could say anything else. Both of them nearly reeled back at the sensation that shocked through them; a sizzling, electric feeling that made her shiver and him growl. And when lips parted, and they began to taste each other, they both knew they'd found a new addiction. Sweet, salty, and so much emotion behind it that Hatter wondered if she'd wet her lips with Passion before seeing him.

Slowly, with great reluctance, they pulled back from the mind-blowing kiss. "We--we should go. To meet with that Resistance guy," Alice said dazedly. _No interruptions this time, and dear god, I missed out on this the first time around? What was I thinking?_

"Yeah, he's due to be here soon," Hatter said, equally dazed. He cleared his throat, "I guess we should be going then, right?"

"Right," she said, pulling out of his arms but not away fully, as she slipped her hand into his.

He smiled as her fingers entwined with his. "Brilliant."

They walked in silence down the hill, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Far from it. They both felt like it was alright, that everything would be okay. _And it will_, Alice thought. _I know it will_. Of course, that feeling didn't last when they got back to the campsite, and found none other than Jack Heart. "Hello, Alice. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" He smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Good Lord. Are you all kidding? 22 reviews for one chapter?!

YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! Oh, and THANK YOU!!! This goes out to all those Jack-bashers, because our Hatter needs his props!

Chapter 3

Hatter wanted nothing more that second than to royally beat the shit out of that shit-eating grin. He stepped in front of Alice, putting his hand out to protect her. And then the two of them noticed Charlie tied up on the ground, the poor knight just starting to come to.

"I know what you're thinking, 'how could anyone sneak up on me?' of all people, and in my own manor too," the old man said in embarrassed bluster.

Hatter ignored Charlie, picking up a sturdy branch and ran towards Jack, who was wielding Charlie's sword.

"You think you can take me with that?" Jack asked casually.

"I'm not an old man." Hatter replied, ready to strike at any moment.

"Oi!" Charlie called from the ground, deeply offended. "I'm not old! I just greyed prematurely!"

_Oh, hell no, they are not going to get in a pissing contest right now! _Alice came running between the two of them, "Look, no one is fighting unless its me. I'm a black belt, remember?"

"Indeed. Now, who's your friend?" Jack asked, condescendingly.

"Which one? Charlie or Hatter?" Alice snapped. "They're both my friends, and I want Charlie untied right now! How dare you attack him!" She went over and undid the knots that bound the knight, ignoring Jack's protest that the old man tried to run him through. "Are you okay, Charlie?"

"Why, I'm fit as a violin!" he said cheerfully, shaking his arms out of the mild cramp they'd gotten. He went over to the Prince and held out his hand. "Now I'm rather fond of that sword, yon knave, if I might have it back?"

"Only if the other man is willing to put down his club?" Jack asked, looking for all the world like he could care less what Hatter did. "After all, I need to be at my best to get Alice back where she belongs, and blunt force trauma might detract from that."

_You know, I'm beginning to see why Hatter dislikes him so much_, Alice thought. She sent Jack a look. "Back where I belong? Oh, that explains it. The guy who's engaged to a duchess must be very eager to get the other woman back where she belongs."

Jack frowned at her. "You know that was just an act."

"No, I don't." Alice replied raising her voice ever so slightly. "It certainly didn't feel like an act when you called me an indiscretion!" She hadn't had the chance to really yell at Jack before, so by god, she was going to now! After all, it wasn't healthy to keep all those emotions bottled up, right?

"I had to tell my mother something to prevent her from sentencing you to death. Or would you have preferred the chopping block?" Jack began to walk away from them, "Come, I've brought you a horse."

Hatter glared full out, striding toward Jack with the branch swinging in his hand. "She's not going anywhere with you."

Jack gave the man a dry look, "You know she can't stay here. Despite such awesome defences," he tossed the sword back to Charlie that the knight scrabbled to catch by the hilt, "she'll be safer with me."

"Oh really?" Hatter snarled. "You're the reason she got dragged into this mess in the first place, and you think she'll be safe with you?"

"Look, stop it both of you." Alice replied grabbing hold of Hatter. _Dammit, they can't fight here, we don't have the time! _"You," she pointed at Jack, "stay right there. Hatter, come here." She walked over to the other side of the camp, Hatter almost stomping as he followed.

She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration at the look on Hatter's face and looked him in the eyes, "Look, Hatter, I need to find my dad."

"Alice, he's lying! Can't you see that?!"

"Even if he is, I have to try! He's my father, Hatter, I"--she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think of a way to make him understand. She took a shot at her version of Wonderland logic. "Look, people have pieces of me, okay? Pieces of my heart, that I give them because I love them. Everyone does it, that's why our hearts hurt when we loose the people we give the pieces to. And my dad has one of the oldest and biggest pieces of it. I miss him so much, Hatter, I need to find him and bring him back. I need to find out if he's there"--_I know he is, I've seen him, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you how I know--"_and if I can bring him home."

"Dammit, Alice," Hatter said in frustration. More because he couldn't deny her logic on this one. But by god, he'd try! Couldn't she see how much danger this would put her in?! "Don't you understand?! You can't trust this guy! They won't bother with the Truth Room this time, they'll send you to the executioner!"

She put both her hands on the sides of his face, her touch shockingly gentle to him. "Hatter, please. I know you want me to be safe, but I can't leave my father here. Please trust me to know what I'm doing."

"Alice!" Hatter protested. _Oh that's low, using words like 'trust' and 'please.' God her hands are soft---focus, man, focus!! _"I trust you, Alice. Its him I don't trust."

_He really was worried about me all this time. Oh Hatter_. She pulled her hands away from his face, fingers relishing the feel of his skin. "But he's all I have to go on," she said quietly. She looked back over at the prince. "Is my father here in Wonderland?" Alice asked, taking a few steps in Jack's direction, knowing she had to ask.

"Yes," Jack turned from fixing the saddle to face them, "he's alive and well, and if you let me, I'll take you to him. But we better get going, we don't have much time." Jack replied.

"Where is he?"

"We're moving him into the city and if we hurry, you can see him by nightfall."

"What do you mean 'moving him?'" Alice replied. How _did _they manage to get him out of the Casino without anyone noticing? Or had it all been a set up so Mad March could follow them to the Hospital of Dreams?

"I have people helping me," the prince replied

Hatter rushed to Alice's flank, immediately suspicious. "What people?" he asked angrily.

Jack completely ignored him, still looking at Alice, "Do you want to see him or not?"

"Yes, of course I do." Alice replied.

Hatter felt his jaw drop. _She has a death wish, she must, its the only thing that explains this insanity_! "Right. Wow. Um, ok." Hatter leaned in front of her, "Alice, don't tell me you trust this guy."

_But I have to go, its the only way it all turns out okay in the end_. Alice looked at him sadly, "Hatter"--

Hatter pulled Alice towards him, "He's lying to you! He'll say anything to get his hands on the ring!"

Alice shook her head, "He hasn't asked about the ring!" _And he hasn't, yet._

"Which brings up a rather good point," the prince said. "Where is it, Alice?"

Hatter raised his voice, hoping to get through to her, "See? It's just all an act!"

"We need the ring to get you home." Jack said soothingly. _The way one talks to a possibly violent dog, _she thought sarcastically. "The looking glass won't work without it, Alice."

Hatter walked away throwing his hands up in the air, while Alice nodded. "Of course," she said, a note of finality in her voice.

Hatter turned around taking a few steps toward Alice, "Don't be fooled by this Alice, he's working for his mother! Blood and water, you remember?"

"Then why am I alone?" Jack countered. "Why aren't there 500 Suits at my back and how did I know to find you in the middle of the forest? Think I just followed my nose?"

"You know, that's an awfully good point. How _did _you find us?" Hatter drawled. "Is Mad March hiding around the corner, waiting for you to get the ring then kill us all?"

"Hardly," the prince snapped. "You sent for me."

"Come again?" Hatter asked blankly.

"I'm the agent who's supposed to escort you to Caterpillar." Hatter looked like a feather could knock him over at those words.

"How _do _you know Caterpillar?" Alice asked.

"Caterpillar recruited me into the resistance," he answered, not noticing the real point of her question. "I stole the ring hoping to trigger a coup by escaping to your world; but, well, you saw what happened. But if you give us the ring then we can give it another try."

Alice cocked her head, as if considering his words. "So the point of this is you want to overthrow your mother?"

"I've seen what she's capable of close up. No one knows her better than me. And I know better than anyone that if I don't stop her, she'll destroy Wonderland. So, Alice, who are you going to trust to get you and your father back home? A resistance insider and future king who's already scheduled your return trip through the looking glass, who cares for you more than any one else in the world? Or this man?" Jack finished, motioning with a tiny sneer toward Hatter.

Hatter stiffened a bit, before lowering his eyes and looking away from her as he dropped the branch. _Like he was giving up_. Alice saw that and narrowed her eyes in anger at the prince. "This man here, you mean? The man that sheltered me, fed and clothed me when I fell into your world? The man that took a _bullet _for me?! The man that risked certain death to help me, with no benefit to himself, that man, you mean?! _That man _is a hero!"

Jack had the look on his face of one that knows he has made a very big mistake and was desperately trying to recover, "Alice"--

"And that man has a name!" she shouted. "His name is _Hatter_! Get that through your head! And you know what, Jack? _Hatter _has been more honest with me in the last two days than _you've _been in the entire time I've known you! And you stand there and assume I'll trust you?!"

Hatter, while quite dumbfounded at Alice's words and very moved by them, did have a little corner of his mind where he was doing an ecstatic victory dance. _**Take that, princey-boy!!**_

"Alice, I--I'm sorry, for insulting your friend," Jack said contritely.

"Then how about saying that to his face?" she asked sweetly. "After all, you owe _him _the apology, not me."

Hatter saw the tick in Jack's cheek and almost laughed out loud. "I'm sorry, Hatter," Jack said frigidly.

"Thank you," Hatter said cheerfully, his grin almost feral in victory. Its not every day you get a royal to apologize to you.

"Now, Alice, where's the ring?" Jack asked, trying to regain some dignity. "We need it for the Resistance, and we need to hurry."

Alice nodded, feeling much better after her screaming. God that felt good. "It's where it belongs." She replied looking toward the skeleton king.

"Thank you, Alice," Jack replied as he took the ring from the bony finger.

"Right under my very nose." Charlie replied amusedly.

Hatter might have been happy with her defense of his character, but he knew that she was going with the prince, whether he liked it or not. And for all her apparent annoyance with him, really, what girl in her right mind turned down a rich, handsome prince of all people? _And for what? _he asked himself. _A scruffy Tea-seller? Some prize_. He leaned in toward Alice and said quietly, "I wish you all the luck in the world, Alice."

Alice looked at him in disbelief and something like hurt, "But you're coming with us, Hatter." _Now you will, won't you?_

Hatter backed away with an apologetic look on his face. "I don't think I figure in the future king's plans."

_Is that what he meant? That Jack was separating us on purpose? Out of what, jealousy? _It made a lot more sense now than when it had happened last time. _If this really was part of some male possessive ploy to get me away from Hatter, I will punch Jack's lights out when this is all over._ Alice had to ask again, and turned to Jack, "He's coming with us, right?"

Jack stuffed the ring in his jacket pocket. "The Resistance was very clear, you are to come on their terms, alone."

She glared. "Hatter stood by me!"

"It's not my call to make," Jack said firmly, seeing the stubborn resistance in her jaw. "Those are Caterpillar's rules, and I will abide by them. Its what's safest for you. And your father."

She looked ready to protest for his sake, and that decided it for him. God, that girl had a real problem with survival instinct, didn't she? Hatter smiled at Alice to ease her mind, "Hey, I wouldn't wanna go with this guy anyway."

"What? But--what will you do?" She asked worriedly.

Hatter pasted a smile on his face, "Me? You're kidding. Believe me, I'll be fine. Besides," Hatter took a breath to stifle the gasp of pain his next words would evoke in him, "you're better off with this guy." He nodded to himself, _Its better this way, really. She'll be safe with him. _"Go." And he walked away.

_Better off with Jack? What did he mean by that? _Alice stared after him for a moment, and then looked at Jack. "Wait one minute." She followed after Hatter and pulled his shoulder to make him face her. "Hatter, listen to me. I'm going to go get my father"--

Oh god, he couldn't listen to this anymore, it hurt too much, "Alice"--

--"and I'm going to come back," she said firmly.

Hatter stared at her, her words almost knocking the wind out of him. "What?"

"I'm going to come back," she repeated. "I mean, I'm going to come back to you. That"--she paused, horrified at this thought--"that is if, you want me to?"

"Want you to--Yes," he said in shock. "Yes, I want you to. Come back to me. Right."

She smiled, and right then he felt like he could conquer the world. But her next words nearly froze him solid. "Now promise me you won't come after me."

"What?" He was beginning to feel like a parrot with that word.

"Promise me you won't come after me. That you'll be safe," she said. _They beat you, tortured you, Mad March nearly killed you! I won't let it happen again, not this time! I got away from the Suits on my own, and I'll wake up the people in the Casino on my own, I know I can. I won't let you get hurt, not for me. Not again._ "Please, Hatter?"

"Alice," he said, aching in his voice. _She cares about me! She cares! Take that, you stuffed-up, pompous prick of a prince_! He privately damned the fact that he coudlnt' seem to deny her anything and let out a shaky breath and said, "I promise."

"Good," she said with a nod of her head as she walked back towards Jack. She glanced back at Hatter, "And besides, I want my dad to meet you. He'll like you, I know it. 'Bye, Hatter, Charlie. Be safe." She mounted the brown horse and started down the path with Jack.

Charlie watch the prince and Alice of Legend depart, unable to stand the sight of it. He didn't belong with her, that much was certain. She was not meant to be a Queen, the lady herself had prophesied it! This wasn't meant to happen! "I'm going after her," he said worriedly, trying to get to his horse when the Harbinger stopped him, catching his sleeve.

"No," Hatter said.

"I am sworn to protect her!" The White Knight said. How could the lad be so foolish?! Didn't he love Alice, as Charlie was sure he did? He might have been alone for a long, long time, but that didn't mean he didn't know love when he saw it. And from how the Lady Alice talked to that Prince of Hearts, it did not seem to be one-sided. Didn't the boy understand?

"Your work is done. Brave knight," Hatter said. He couldnt' look the disappointed knight in the eye as he spoke. "You should be proud. You did a hell of job. But she's in safe hands now."

Hatter stared after the girl as she rode away with the prince, still struck by her parting words. _'I'm going to come back to you.' She wants to be with--me? Not the bloody Prince of Wonderland, but me?! Is that why she kissed me? She wants __**me**__? Oh lord, she wants her father to meet me. Should I be worried about that?_

_Maybe I should be a bit more worried about her riding off with the Prince, eh? Oh my god, I just let her ride off into certain danger. I'm an idiot! _Something bad was going to happen, he knew it as surely as the bats had run from the belfry. Because he knew that Mad March was still out there waiting, for both of them. And that ponce of Prince had no idea what he was dealing with.

_I know I promised her, but I never said what I promised, now did I? I'm coming, Alice, whether you like it or not!_


	4. Chapter 4

You guys rock! To EreshkigalGirl, AngelsShadow816, Erik'sTrueAngel, xCammyBearx, and Labmama for being among my first and most faithful reveiwers, thank you.

The Jack-bashers won't like this one so well, but Jack's greatest sin was lying. And that was it.

Chapter 4

As Alice and Jack rode through the hill country, a hard silence stood between them like a glass wall. She stole glances at the prince as they went on, wondering what was really on his mind. And wondering about all that had gone on between them before. She'd always thought he was from some prep school, with the way he acted back in her world. Always so tense and up-tight. She'd excused it with the theory that that was how he was raised, but now she knew better. _He was always worried about getting me to help him convert Dad back to normal. From Carpenter to Robert Hamilton. Was any of it real? Was that why he purposed so soon? _

Six weeks was far too short a time to know each other to even think about marriage. So then why had he done it? It hurt to think that the only reason a handsome man had popped the question to her was to due to Caterpillar's orders to hurry up in bringing her over to Wonderland. She tried to ignore the dull sting of it, and focused on keeping her seat on the horse.

They soon found the small stream and let the horses stop to drink. _Hatter would like it here. Its a pretty stream_. She found herself thinking more and more about Hatter, what he would say about something, or the faces he'd make if he saw this or that. _Does that mean I'm mad about Hatter, or mad as a hatter? _Splashing some of the dust off her face with water, she looked up at Jack. "So, are you ever going to tell me about the Duchess?"

He looked at her and looked away again. "She's my mother's creature. An arrangement. I have no feelings for her nor she for me." He paused as if choosing his words carefully, "Alice, my heart belongs to you completely. You do believe me, don't you?"

It was the hesitance, that pause, that was the last nail in the coffin of their relationship. _My god. Every last bit of it was a lie. How did I not see this before? _The renewed anger she felt at that thought was enough to make her want to get up and kick him someplace that guaranteed he'd never have an heir! How could he do this to her? She thought he'd loved her, but it was all part of his mission for the Resistance, just like she'd thought when she'd been at the Hospital.

What gave him the right to mess with her emotions like this?! Couldn't he have just found a way to keep the Stone away from his mother in Wonderland? Why did he have to lie to her?! Okay, she wouldn't have believed him without proof, but he had the watch! That would have been all the proof she'd have needed! Why, why did he have to lie?

That hot anger was suddenly washed away by a wave of pity as she thought of what his reasons must have been. She remembered what she'd thought about as she'd laid in the bed at Charlie's camp, the long hours she'd put in trying to figure out why so much had happened both in the past, present, and quasi-future. Jack had figured heavily into all that, as he had brought the most baggage with him. It hit her how hard it must have been for him, too.

_His family tried to kill him, while they're destroying his home, so he goes to the only people that can help him and they ship him off to another world with a stolen ring that automatically made him a traitor to his own family. Then he has to convince me to help him somehow, and the engagement was probably the only thing he could think of. Still doesn't make it a good reason for lying, but that makes it a bit easier to swallow_. While she was aways off from forgiving him for lying to her, she found that she couldn't be angry with him for his reasons. Those, at least, had good intentions behind them.

_The road to hell is paved with good intentions._

She gave him a look that wasn't unkind. "No, Jack, I don't believe it. There can't be love without some form of trust, and you gave me none. You never told me the truth"--

"You know me better than any other person alive!" Jack said, hurt. "You know what I like to read, and talk about, and what my favorite color is, she never asked about any of that!! No one ever bothered to see Jack Heart, just Prince Jack! But you, Alice, I showed Jack Heart to you, just by a different name! Does that mean nothing to you?"

She closed her eyes against the pain on his face. But what about the Duchess? She thought back to when they'd defeated the Queen, and the look on Duchess's face as she'd been lifted in a happy embrace by the Prince. The look on Jack's face when he'd looked back at the blonde caught Alice's attention. For one moment, he'd looked--happy? Ecstatic even, and then he had seemed to shake himself and let go of her, moving off to help some of the Suits with his mother.

_'She never asked about that!' His mother's creature, yeah right._ _You lied about loving me, but I think you were lying about loving someone else to yourself_. Something was between those two. Maybe it was love, unrequited. But on his side, it seemed, no matter what he thought. "No, Jack, it does mean something. But I think I'm not the one you wanted to introduce Jack Heart to."

"What?" he asked, almost backing away in frightened confusion.

"Answer me this," Alice said softly. "You came to my world as part of your mission, but there was another reason, too. I can see it in your eyes. Who were you really running from, Jack? Your mother, or Duchess?"

His blue eyes went wide in realization, and something like pain, and then he looked away from her. "See? You do know me, better than anyone else," he said almost bitterly. "We need to get going, or we'll run late."

"Alright," she said, getting back on the horse. He looked pensive as they rode, so she left him to his thoughts. He looked like he had a lot to sort out.

As they rode, neither noticed the brown horse on the top of the ridge above them, nor its rider. Hatter watched over them as they traveled, unable to stop the harsh pain that stabbed his heart as he saw them together. _She wants to come back to me, she wants to come back to me, she said she wants her father to meet me_, he repeated her words in his head over and over, and it helped to lessen the pain.

A sudden flash, like sunlight on armor, caught his eye, and he scowled. That old man just couldn't take a hint, could he? He changed course to catch up to the knight. He finally caught up to him, his horse nearly rearing back in fright. "Charlie!"

"By the Ghost, you nearly scared me half to death!" Charlie said, trying to soothe his horse.

"You're following them," Hatter accused him.

"So are you!" the knight accused right back. Hatter couldn't help but shake his head at being a hypocrite, and the other man understood it immediately. "And don't you shake your head at me! When you asked to borrow Guinevere, you said you were going to hide out in the hills. Well, these are not the hills!"

_There's no reasoning with this guy. "_C'mon then," Hatter said, turning his horse to follow after them.

The White Knight couldn't take the boy's attitude anymore. "What _is _your problem?"

"What?" Hatter asked, looking back at him.

"Your problem. What is it?" Charlie asked. "That girl loves you, you know that, don't you?"

"What? No. No, she doesn't love me." _She couldn't love a guy like me. _"Like me, yes, but not--I mean--I heard her say she likes me! But that's all it is, Charlie! Like." He ruthlessly stomped down the hope that kept building in his heart. _She doesn't love me, couldn't love some common guy like me. She has a prince at her beck and call._

Charlie sent him a flat look. "Oh yes, certainly. Its commonly expected for one to scream at princes out of a mere feeling of like. One defies the will of royalty every day for someone that they basically 'like.' Its done all the time, surely."

Hatter scowled at the knight. "Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Charlie. Besides, she--she deserves bett'r. She deserves to be a Queen. What can I offer her? Huh? A broke-down Tea Shoppe? Always being looked down on for consortin' with a guy like me?

"No, Charlie," Hatter shook his head. "She's better off with him."

"Lie to yourself all you want, Harbinger," the knight said. "In the end, it all will come down to the lady's choice. And I, for one, think she might surprise you." Hatter had no reply for that, and they continued on the road.


	5. Chapter 5

You all are so, so awesome. Seriously.

The first real physical change happens this chapter, hope you all enjoy!!

Chapter 5

The Hospital of Dreams awed and frightened her even more now that she knew what it was for. And Jack's order to cover her mouth, lest the inmates discover what she was, still creeped her out. They approached the entrance and Jack led her swiftly past the bug-chasing receptionist and into the room that held the leader of the Resistance. She wondered if Hatter had ever been here, and met the mysterious Caterpillars. The pool still lacked the smell of chlorine, still glowing that pale blue without lights. The boat was still overflowing with books, and the gramophone was playing a strange classic tune that she didn't recognize.

"You have the ring?" his raspy voice asked the prince, stopping him before he could pull the trinket out. "No, no. Should the moment arise, I must be able to swear under Oath that I have never laid eyes on it. Ask the girl to come closer." She held up a hand to stop Jack from doing so, and moved with him to the side of the pool. "Not as tall as I'd imagined," Caterpillar said.

"So you think I'm the real Alice of Legend?" she asked.

"Maybe not her. A descendant, perhaps?" the man said. "She might have a point."

The wizened old man still wouldn't talk directly to her. She found her voice snapping again, "You can talk to me, you know, I'm right here."

"When was the last time you saw your father?"

Her eyebrows went up at that. _Right to business then_. Everything repeated, almost exactly like before. He still talked as if it was all in riddles, though everyone was supposed to understand. She told him all he wanted to know, but now she understood his comment about horizons much better than before. _He wants Dad to work for the Resistance, not just free him from the brain-washing. To try and undo the effects of the Tea._

And when he started talking about why Jack had come to Earth, when she glanced at him, the hot shame on his face made her feel sad for him, but nothing more. There truly was no romantic love there now. She might still count him as a friend, after they had a very long talk. But nothing more. And she found herself glad for that.

As Caterpillar walked them through the Hospital, his explanations of how the Oysters had effected his people made her wonder. "Jack lived in my world for months," she said. "Have the emotions of people affected him? Can they?" _Did they affect Hatter while I was with him?_

"No," the doctor answered. "Emotions as you feel them have no effect, not even in large quantities like they would be in your world. Only if they were directed at him would they influence him at all."

She paused, a feeling of dread coiling around her heart. "So the emotions I had for him, they affected him? How?"

"It would act like a magnet, drawing him towards you," Caterpillar said. "While it wouldn't influence him directly, only subconsciously, to a positive or negative degree. It would draw him to you, like moths to flames in the dark. Only if he drank your emotions in that dreadful Tea would it poison him. Is that what you were worried about?"

Alice almost nodded, but then decided to be honest. "I was worried that my emotions might have made him feel something that wasn't there."

"Alice," Jack said, hurt. "What I feel is real, no artifice."

She just gave him a small smile.

"No. Your emotions caused attraction, nothing more," Caterpillar continued. "The Oysters, your people, are poisoning our world. They must be sent back, dead or alive, before its too late"--

"And which way do you prefer?" she snapped. Both men stopped at her words. She hadn't paid much attention to his pretty speech before, too focused on him talking about her father, but now that little snippet of sentence caught her attention big time. "None of them want to be here. None of them came here of their own free will. They're innocent, just being used up and dying like lambs to a slaughter with no say in their fate, and it sound like you despise them for it. So which do you prefer? Dead or alive?"

Caterpillar stared at her. "I sympathize with their plight. But I must worry about my people first"--

"As long as the Oysters are gone. So you prefer innocent people to die?" Alice spat.

"Alice, that's not true!" Jack protested.

"I would prefer," Caterpillar cut in, "that no one die. But they must go back. There is no choice in it now. Once the people of Wonderland tasted the addiction of the Teas, no Oyster is safe here. Not until every last trace of the Tea is gone, with every last user dead and buried, and every last snatch of rumor or legend about the Oysters' Tea is gone, could any of your kind come here and even be slightly safe. The madness that grips those poor addicted souls would have them hunt you down without mercy. Do you understand now?"

She nodded, horrified at the revelation. 'I'm sorry. You sounded so cold, so I was worried."

"War makes a winter in every heart," Caterpillar said, resuming their walk. "As I was saying, your father is the only one that can release them. Our operatives brought him here earlier this morning. It was our most dangerous operation we've ever mounted. They're brave men."

"Are you sure they weren't followed?" she asked. _How do I convince them without seeming like a spy? _"Mad March was like a machine, following me and Hatter. Are you sure he couldn't find us here?"

"This place has layers of protections that only a member of the Resistance could understand, let alone penetrate," Jack assured her. "Don't worry, your father is quite safe here."

"But I must warn you, he's not the same person you knew as a child." Caterpillar said. He paused, but when she said nothing, he went on. "He's--how should I put this--stuck."

"Stuck how?" she asked. _They don't believe me! I have to hurry to convince Dad, before its too late._

"He's been changed. He was made into a creature of the Queen, and has no memory of what he was before," the old doctor said. "We're hoping you can help clear away the cobwebs."

_Oh now he explains it! "_I don't understand," she repeated, as she had before, knowing things still needed to be said.

"I came to your world to find you, Alice because we need your help," Jack said.

"You're the only one who can wake him, Alice," Caterpillar said.

She couldn't help her disappointed tone as she looked at Jack. "So everything that we had was about my Dad?"

"It wasn't all an act, Alice, I really do love you, but you have to understand, your father holds the key to our future"--

She found a pitying smile for him. _Hatter was right about you_. "See? You've never told me the truth, and now you admit it."

"Would you have believed him if he had told you the truth?" Caterpillar asked.

"I don't know!" she said hotly. "But maybe if you'd brought me proof, like the watch, I might have gone with you! Did you ever think about that?! You didn't have to trick me!"

"You're right, I should have been more honest, but I can't turn back the clock," Jack said quickly. "Please, Alice. Will you help us?"

"Our world depends on it," Caterpillar said, imploring.

She just looked at Jack. "You say you love me, but you know nothing about me. All I would have needed to hear is that people needed help. That would have had me come running." He had the decency to look ashamed at her words. She looked back at Caterpillar. "Lead on."

And it still took her breath away when she saw her father, alive and whole, even if he didn't know her. "Daddy," she gasped. She ran forward, wanting so badly to embrace him.

"Who's this?" Carpenter asked shortly.

She stopped in front of him, his disregard like a brick wall in front of him. "Its me, Dad. Alice."

Carpenter scoffed. "This another one of your tricks, Jack Heart?"

"Don't you know your own daughter?" Caterpillar asked.

"I was a child when he last saw me," Alice said, shaking her head in realization. "He would barely recognize me now."

"The White Rabbit kidnapped you many years ago. And the doctors adjusted you to work in the laboratory," Caterpillar said, trying to explain things to the scientist.

_This is taking too long, Mad March will be here any minute! Wait, what was it that helped wake the people in Casino up the most? _"What's your name?" Alice asked.

"Alice," Jack started, but a move from Caterpillar silenced him.

The scientist send her a look. "Carpenter."

"No its not. Your real name, what is it?"

He frowned at her. "Its"--

"Its Robert. Robert Hamilton," she said firmly, fighting back the tears that came._ I forgot how much this hurt last time_. "And your wife. Don't you remember her? She loves you so much, Dad, even though its been so long. There's never been anyone else. Not in 13 years, there's never been another man for her. She holds that picture, the one in the silver frame, your wedding picture, every year on your anniversary. She had her hair up with the clip you bought her when you first started dating. That blue one with the little crystal stones, remember? You said it matched her eyes."

Carpenter looked confused for a moment, as if something was trying to catch in his mind, or maybe shake loose. "C-Carol? No, no, you think this little charade is going to fool me? Turn me against the Queen?"

_He almost remembered! _Alice felt a surge of hope. "What do you remember?"

"I remember my work at the Institute"--

"What about your family?" she said quickly. "Your parents, who are they? Your wife, your daughter. Do you remember about our house?"

"I..I live alone, in an apartment," he said, like he was trying to convince himself. He looked visibly shaken now.

"No, not before you came here. You lived with us, me and Mom. And you liked grapefruit and wheat germ for breakfast," she said, a small smile at the memory forming on her lips. "And on Sundays, sometimes we'd all go to the lake park in Waverly. And you would throw chick-peas at the ducks because it made us laugh, remember?"

His eyes looked wide and sad for a moment, and then, "Your mother...Carol?" He looked confused for a moment and then shook his head hard. "Your mother will be very disappointed in you, Jack."

_No, no! We can't loose him now! It was so close_! She couldn't help it and felt the tears well up, spilling down her cheeks. "Daddy"--

"Don't--don't cry, Jellybean," he said, wincing at the sight of her tears.

"Jellybean?" Alice looked up, wonder and shock on her face. _Oh, god, he's remembering like he did before!_

"Is that your special name for Alice?" Caterpillar asked

"Yes, that's what you used to call me," Alice said, her smile growing. "When my cat Dinah died, you held me in your arms for a whole hour, and told me don't cry, Jellybean. You remember how you rocked me?" She remembered what came next and quickly pulled the watch out from her pocket, "Here. Your watch."

"We--we don't need watches here," he said slowly, his arm still reaching out for the old memento, though he couldn't think of why.

"Its broken, and it never kept really good time anyway. But you never seemed to mind." She slipped it over his calloused hand, holding his chilled fingers in her hands as she clipped the watch's clasp shut. She smiled up at him, lost in the moment.

Of course, it couldn't last. Shots rang out, and her father suddenly pulled her forward, crouching down in a protective embrace. Everything seemed to spiral down after that. The Minister of Clubs came, with dozens of Suits, and Mad March at his side. And this time she wondered at the assassin's question, "Where's Hatter?" _Why did he want Hatter? Wasn't he after her and Jack? _And Caterpillar disappeared in his mushroom puff of smoke, and her father denied her, just like before. And even though she'd seen it all before, when it had a happy ending, she felt despair.

As they marched through the city, she couldnt' help but feel anxious, not only about what would happen in the Casino, but about what had happened now the last time around. Hatter had come charging in on a horse, swinging a sword, and Charlie had--well, the poor old man had been afraid, hadn't he? He'd run away. At least this time Hatter would stay away--

The sound of a loud "Three!" being shouted out made her heart sink. _No! He promised! _"Hatter!" she screamed. Hatter came in, like a knight from the old kingdom, the sword slashing out as he attacked the Suits to try and save her. She moved this time, stomping the Suit's foot that held her and swung a hard punch to his nose when he let go. _You're not getting him this time!_

"Charlie!" Hatter shouted, but the old mad was riding away. "What the hell--Alice!" he cried as he saw that daft, brave girl fight to reach him.

"Alice, no!" Jack shouted.

"Get her!" the Minister roared.

She charged forward even as the Suits pulled Hatter down from the horse. She fought to get to his side, pulling two suits back and a hard chop to the neck sent one down. The girl lunged down, trying to pull the men off Hatter even as he shouted for her to run. She shook her head, mouth set firmly even as she felt her arm jerked back, pulling her away from him to face that white ceramic head.

Mad March couldn't smirk, or even glare, but his cruel voice was all they needed to hear the sadistic grin. "What a nice surprise," he said.

She shifted her weight to get enough momentum to punch as she struggled to get out of his grip. "Let him go!" she shouted. The man said nothing as he viciously wrenched her arm back, making her cry out in pain.

"Alice!" Hatter tried everything, every muscle in his body straining to throw off the Suits that held him down, but nothing worked. "You don't touch her, March"--

"Oh, so she means something to you?" the assassin said teasingly. "In that case"--his words were cut off as she finally got into position to sweep his legs out from under him, another of her legs swinging up and out to deliver a hard ax kick to his stomach. He grunted in pain, letting go of her arm. She twisted into a jump-flip to get back upright even as three Suits rushed her.

_Holy shit! She just knocked down Mad March! That's my girl! _"That girl is _awesome_!" Hatter couldn't help but say in pride from the ground, one of the men holding him actually nodding his head in agreement.

One was sent flying in a flip over her shoulder, but the two others managed to catch her arms. She kicked one hard were it hurt most and he let go with a cry of pain, but by then Mad March was up. He grabbed ahold of her arm, gripping it so hard she screamed as he jerked it, and they all heard a sickening crack of bone breaking.

"ALICE!!" Hatter screamed, this time rearing up and cracking his skull as hard as he could against the head of the nearest Suit. The man reeled back, and the other Suits resumed their frantic efforts to hold Hatter down. Jack wasn't idle either, and had just barely managed to slip out of his jacket, getting an arm free to punch out the Suit that restrained him when Mad March's voice rang out.

"You two better behave yourselves," he twisted her arm cruelly, making her cry out in pain. "Or you'll make the lady suffer. You don't want the lady to suffer, do you, Prince Jack? Hatter?"

Jack went still, and Hatter stopped his struggling. "Good boys," he mocked.

"Hatter," Alice softly cried. "You promised! You promised you'd be safe."

The man sent her a sad look, how must he look to her now? _Some hero_. "Never said what I promised, now did I?"

"Oh, this is too much," the Minister of Clubs said suddenly, breaking between them. "We need to get moving. The Queen is expecting us, and it won't do to be late."

"Heh. Like I care what that fat cow wants," the assassin groused. He yanked Alice close to his side, grabbing her other arm and pulling them both tightly behind her back. Her vision swam in front of her eyes at the pain and growing shock, but she refused to cry out again. Not in front of Hatter. "Now be a good little girl. I'd hate to have to kill you in front of Hatter without more prep time before hand. After all, I would want to draw it out as long as I could, so he could see you suffer," the man hissed.

"No! Leave her alone, March!" Hatter shouted, his hands now bound tightly behind his back and his horse being led away.

"Oh, don't worry, Hatter," Mad March said as he shoved her forward into a fast walk. "I haven't forgotten about you. We'll have lots of time to play later. But for now, move it!!" He dragged Alice along as they made their way to the Casino. And as they walked, Carpenter couldn't help the sick feeling in his stomach as he saw that girl with her broken arm, and he tried to suppress the growing worry and fear he felt for her.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you all for your many kinds words and support. Without such encouragement, this would take a lot longer to get out.

Chapter 6

Alice stared dully out of the prison ball as the Minister delivered the Stone of Wonderland back to the Queen. She could barely hear them this time over the throb of pain in her arm and the sensation of whirling the shock was giving her. She'd barely remembered enough from that first aid class she took in junior high to wrap her arm with strips of the lining of Hatter's coat, but had nothing to brace it with. She saw her father shooting glances her way, a look of worry on his face that would change to something else should a Suit look over. It gave her some hope.

_I wonder if Hatter's in as good a shape as I am._

"Why is she in that contraption?" the Queen asked.

"She's a contaminant," the King said. "We didn't want her trying to influence Carpenter." He explained that Jack had brought her to try and turn Carpenter against her. The same scene repeated again as her father denied knowing her, claiming she was just a very good actress. The Queen of Hearts' cruelty and sadistic pleasures sickened Alice even more seeing it twice. "I'm going to have her executed. Does that bother you?" the Queen asked her father.

But this time, his answer was different. "No, my queen," Carpenter said. "But it is a real shame."

"A shame? A shame for what?" the woman snapped. Alice immediately focused on her father. This hadn't happened last time.

"She's an actress," he hastily explained. "Oyster actresses can call up a huge array of emotions, from Joy to Happiness, even Pure Love. _On demand_."

A wave of muttering swept the room at this news, even Jack looking surprised by the shift in direction. The emotion of Love was the hardest Tea to produce, as all the Oysters were taken away from those they loved, making it much harder to make them feel it. But if she could produce Love in large quantities--"On demand, you say?" the Queen asked. "What a curious thing. Perhaps she would be of more use to us alive than dead."

"She would have to be kept in a different place than the other Oysters," Carpenter said quickly. "A special room, with more amenities to help create the emotions she can call upon. She won't need much supervision if that's the case."

"Oh really?" Walrus said with his low rough voice tinged with suspicion.

Carpenter quickly back-tracked. "Certainly not as much personnel would be required as the Casino floor needs. Two or three guards at the most. It might take time for the room to be set up for an actress's requirements, but I'm sure we could work something out."

_I can handle two guards, three might be pushing it now, but with minimal supervision--Wait, is he--Is he trying to set up some kind of escape for me? _she thought in wonder. _He might even be trying to find a way to get us both out! He must be fully awake! Oh god, quit looking happy, Alice, look betrayed, or you'll give the whole thing away! _She forced herself to look like she was on the brink of tears, clutching her arm tight enough for bright stabs of pain to give real tears to her act.

"I suppose something could be arranged to help get more of that Love that the masses care so much for," the Queen groused.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Carpenter said swiftly, before the King could try and talk her out of it. He backed away and then turned to try and deal with the looks Walrus was sending him.

But the King would not be dissuaded. "A word in your ear," the King said, leading her over to side of the room by the prison ball.

"She can be of some use to us before dying a dried-up husk, Winston, so what is your problem?" the woman said brusquely.

"She is too dangerous to keep any where near Carpenter," the king said. "So much exposure to her, even to just her emotions, will surely wake him up."

She thought over his words, actually acknowledging some merit to them with how odd Carpenter was acting. "Then we'll kill her, that should get her out of the works nicely."

"But seeing her killed might be another thing that could wake him up for sure," the king protested. "Denial is a tricky business."

"Leniency is out of the question," she said firmly.

"Of course, of course we're going to get rid of her. But to keep things simple, and keep Carpenter from getting confused, I suggest that we Banish her."

"Banishment?" The Queen asked, as if tasting the word.

"Oh yes, some people even say its worse than execution," Winston said.

"Hmm. There might be some logic to what you say," she said grudgingly. "Very well." She swept back over to the prison ball. "In light of the circumstances, I decree that the girl shall be sent back to her own world, for the harsher punishment of Banishment is more appropriate. Escort her to the Looking Glass and have her dispatched as quickly as possible."

Only Alice, Jack, and Walrus caught the look of minuscule relief that crossed Carpenter's face.

"Now as for you, my own son," the Queen spat, moving on toward Jack. As the queen ranted at Jack, Alice wondered how much it must hurt him to hear his own mother bid them to kill him. The gasps of shock that filled the hall upon his sentencing paled in the face of the pain on Duchess's face. She looked as if the whole world had just burned to ash around her as she stared at Jack. Alice felt a stab of pity for the woman. She might be an arrogant thing, but she really had been dealt a bad hand in all this. If she really did love Jack, (and she had to have, to defy the Queen and rescue him from the Casino like she had before), then this had to have been terrible for her to go through.

_Poor girl. She loved him all this time, and he does love her despite what he says, but they can't get it across to the other one. How sad_. [A.N; Let us all pause for a moment to savor the irony of that statement.]

But her thoughts didn't linger on the Duchess and Jack for long. Even thoughts of her father fled her mind in the face of what must be happening in the lower levels. _Hatter. Oh god, he's back with those monsters Dee and Dum. Or--maybe Mad March_. She shivered in fear at the idea of him at the mercy of that thing. The tears began to fall as the whole of the situation hit her. _Hatter. Jack. Dad. It was a miracle almost everyone survived last time. Oh god, please let this nightmare end like it did before, but let Dad still be alive, please!_

This time, she'd heard the King ask for banishment for her, to send her back to her world. Her eyes widened at the memory of the unexpected mercy. And when she'd been here the first time, when she'd tried to bargain the ring for Jack! Had the King been trying to give her an opening then to claim it was in her world on purpose? Had the King been trying to help her all along?! As they sent Jack to something called the Eye Room, and the rest of the Suits left with Carpenter and Walrus as the Queen readied for an afternoon nap, she called out to the King. "King Winston? King Winston!"

He apparently was much better at hearing pleas than his queen was. The man walked over to the ball, peering at her. "What? What is it? How do you know my name?"

"Your son," she said, trying to talk as clearly as she could through the ball. She figured it was hard to hear her, so she spoke as loud as possible without really shouting.

"He told you?"

"Your son, he always told me that his father was a good man," she said strongly. And he had, but had always added that he was still awful at his job despite that apparent goodness. "He said that you were his hero when he was little."

Winston didn't even bother pretending that he couldn't hear her. "That was a long time ago. And, well, he was wrong," the king muttered, suddenly unable to look her in the eye.

"No he's not! Please, I know there is more to you than what she thinks! There is a good man in there! Please! Save him! Save your son!"

"I can't," he said, shaking his head as he tried to turn away from her.

But Alice caught and stared him in the eye, Jack's eyes, she realized. "Jack told me that his favorite memory is of playing in his father's office. Playing with the all the king's horses and all the king's men." The man winced as she talked, the pain of the sweet memory lancing his heart. His little boy. "He told me that he used to think that his father was the cleverest man in the world, and the bravest. And that he loved his father more than anyone else he knew. He's your son. Please. Please save him."

_He still loves me? After all this, after all I've let Wonderland become, my son still thinks I'm a good man? _Winston Heart, King of Wonderland, felt something in his heart break. And in that moment, he found the will to truly defy the queen that he, sadly, still loved. "I can't help him, but I know someone that can," he said quietly. "You'll be sent back to your world. And I'll make sure that Jack is saved from this one."

He left the strange Oyster in the prison ball and went to go find not only Duchess, who he'd been on his way to see anyway, but now he also went to see the Minister of Clubs. It looked like it was time to call in that old favor.

Perhaps, if he couldn't be his son's hero, he could help be sure that Jack would become one, with an army to answer the future king's call to arms. It was time for a new King of Wonderland to rise, and maybe time for his Queen to retire. Oh, Jack wouldn't kill her, Winston knew he'd never bring himself to hurt his mother. But it was time to stop the destruction of their kingdom, while there was still enough left to save.

Hatter had thought _he _was the master of playing both sides of the Court. He had nothing on the King of Wonderland.


	7. Chapter 7

Wow. A lot of people were impressed with Winston, which surprised me. It just seemed to me, in the show that is, that he gave a lot of openings for people to make their own escapes. He even saved the Club from the executioner. To quote, "Oh, bring him back. By tomorrow, she'll have forgotten she killed him." He must have had experience saving his Suits from her to know that.

I'll have to have a bit more on our dear King Senior in the next chapter or two. But for now, one of the best scenes in all the series, with a twist! Hatter!! Dee and Dum!! And the sadistically evil Mad March!!

Oh and some explanation for Sweet Tea and Black Tea. Sweet Tea is the positive emotions; happiness, lust, calm. Black Tea is the negative; hatred, sadness, anger. Black Tea was originally drawn by the Queen to use as a punishment to those that displeased her. But it had the tendency to create uncontrollable monsters. Literally.

Chapter 7

Alice didn't struggle as they herded her onto the Scarab._ If I can still get free at the Looking Glass, I can still make it back with the element of surprise. It'll be harder with the broken arm, but this time they didn't bring as many guards, _she thought. She remembered how she'd been completely willing to leave Wonderland the last time this had happened, waiting for the chance to go home and forget all this insanity. She'd thought Hatter was dead, and Jack to be executed, and her father now completely lost to her, and thus had despaired. The depression had almost paralyzed her.

The little girls being brought through to be drained had been all that changed her mind. _I was going to just leave them, leave them all. I would have left Hatter to the twins, oh god. _Hot shame scalded her throat, and she fought back her emotions at that. She would make it up to him. She would! And when this was all over, she'd ask him to forgive her for her selfishness. But all thought froze as a figure came walking up to the ship.

Mad March was walking up the ship's ramp with a knife in his hand. All the Suits saw that as a bad sign, tensing with their hands near their weapons. The assassin wasn't known for showing a distinction between enemies and allies. No expression on his face, but a sneer in his posture and tone as he drew near. "Quit pissing your pants," he said. "I just want the girl."

"O-our orders are to take her through the Looking Glass alive," the Nine of Clubs said daringly.

Mad March turned his blank gaze on the Suit. "I just thought she might want to leave Hatter a little something. For all the good times they had together," he drawled.

She stared at the knife he held, grateful that the Suits thought that with her arm broken, she could do no harm and had made no move to restrain her. _We'll just see how harmless I am if he tries something_. "What do you want?"

He cocked his white head at her. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You hold real still, and you might not even bleed. But if you move around, well, lets just say I might miss."

"What are you going to do?" she asked, proud that her voice didn't shiver like it very badly wanted to.

Mad March walked slowly around her, and she kept her eyes locked on him as long as she could before she had to turn her head--He darted forward, grabbing a sweeping handful of her long hair and pulling her head back with it. She immediately struggled, trying to get her balance back enough to turn around and attack when he spoke. "Now be still, or this'll get a lot more bloody than you want it to be."

Before she could even cry out, with a quick jerk of his long knife, he cut through the long hair, and a hot slice of pain appeared on the back of her neck. His blade was wet with her blood, and nearly an entire twelve inches of her hair lay in his fist. She instantly sprang up without the resistance of his grip, whirling around to see the hair he'd taken as she cupped the shallow cut on her neck with her hand. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Like I said, a little gift for Hatter," Mad March said with more than a little sick pleasure in his words. "Be grateful the King wanted you gone instead of dead, little bitch. I'd already asked the Queen to have a go with you, preferably in front of Hatter. But you can't always get what you want, huh?"

He walked off without another word, the blood on his blade dripping a bit as he went. "What was that all about?" a Suit asked in a shaking voice.

"No idea," the Nine of Clubs answered, looking rather shaky himself. "But I'm just glad he's gone. Now lets get this over with. The farther away we are from him, the better."

_Amen to that_, Alice thought to herself. She could honestly say that Mad March was the one person in all of Wonderland that she feared the most. The Suits had the Scarab flying off to the Looking Glass a few minutes later.

Now Mad March wasn't programmed to hum in glee, but if he could, he would have been as he walked swiftly down to the playroom of Dee and Dum. He always had a lot of respect for those two freaks. A sort of artist's camaraderie. They like to play with their victims for a lot longer than he did, but then again, they preferred breaking down their prey's minds, using their fears and insecurities to tear them apart.

But that was no fun. How could you get any kicks out of hearing them scream when you weren't really the cause of the pain? Now slicing up fingers bit by bit in a blender, that was the way to go. Of course, if their little mind games didn't get them what they wanted, they'd move right on to his way of thinking. Often, they'd actually call him in and either let him help or watch if he wanted. Yeah, they might be freaks, but they were his kind of freaks.

_Lots of fun, us freaks_.

But now it was time to pay a visit to an old friend. Yes, a friend, but not a freak. And he'd had such hopes for Hatter. With the right sort of Sweet Tea and Black Tea, he would have been a real Mad Hatter, a real killer. A little Euphoria and Ecstasy mixed with Apathy and Rage, and a hefty chaser of Cruelty and Lust, and he would have been Mad; beautifully, brightly, bloody Mad.

Now though, hah! Hatter thought he was better than him, didn't he? But March knew the truth. Hatter was weak. Never letting himself feel the hot despair and pain of the Black Teas, claiming they would poison him. He just couldn't hold his tea, now could he?

He wondered how Hatter would take his gift. That girl, she really wasn't his type. Hatter liked them young, with big breasts, big eyes, and a real tiny brain. Pretty bits of fluff that knew the score, and that was about it. That Alice was something else though. _That girl had the stuff_, he mused. _Fire and hatred and anger. Hell of a good kick too_.

It made him want to do unspeakable things, unforgivable things with her. Preferably all night long, where Hatter could be made to watch.

And the Queen had been all ready to let him have his fun breaking her, but nooooo. That stupid prick king had to go and convince her to let the bitch live. And leave! No cuts, no bruises, or burns, or scars! Just that paltry broken arm. Well, you can't always get what you want, huh?

He walked into the twin's room, green globs floating around in a swirl that would have been dizzying if he was still human enough to be affected. One of them was dancing in glee as his brother used a cattle prod with abandon on the little shit. Ooh, nice choice with the prod; lots of pain but no real damage so physically he could take more, but his pain threshold was nice and overshot. From the looks of things, he'd been screaming for a while now.

Cuts and bruises marred his face, and he had more than a dozen red welts and burns from the prod all over his body. With the pure amount of fight he'd put up, the twins had stripped him down of anything that might be useful, from his hat to his shirt to that clever little bit of body armor he'd taken to lying about wearing.

Good. He was all warmed up for Mad March's little show.

"Leave us," March said.

Dee or Dum tried ot protest, he never could tell them apart. "But"--

"I said leave!" The two sulked as they left the room, one last parting gift of a few thousand volts to make Hatter nice and twitchy when Mad March started his fun. Hatter was staring straight ahead, his eyes unfocused as he began to ramble. "Why is a raven like a writing desk? The clockwork's not ticking properly. May be crumbs--in the butter."

Might as well try and get a little work done before having his pleasure. "Tell me where the Great Library is."

Hatter's gazed focused, his head turned to glare at the man he'd once known long ago.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd crack," he said in his mechanical drawl. "In that case, I should go ahead and give you that present from your girl, Alice, right?"

"You don't touch her," Hatter spat at him with a look of pure hate. "I'll kill you if you do."

"Too little, too late for that sentiment. So have the twins been making you listen to her screamin'? I had them download it from my memory when I _broke_. _Her_. _**Arm**_. Sweet music, ain't it?"

Hatter grit his teeth to try and stay focused, anything to block out the sound of Alice in pain that Dee and Dum had indeed been playing almost non-stop since he got there. "Where is she?"

"Where she is, she's beyond caring about what happens here. All wrapped up in plastic and being shipped off to be flung down some rabbit hole," March said with a low chuckle.

Panic entered Hatter's eyes, and March loved every second of it. A bit of truth mixed in with the lies, and the sheep are yours for slaughter. "What are you talking about? What have you done to Alice?!"

Mad March held out the handful of long dark hair, shoving it in Hatter's face. "Look familiar?"

The sight of it was nothing; it could be anyone's hair. But the scent--he knew that scent. From the hilltop where they'd had their kiss, when he'd held her in his arms he'd memorized the feel of her curves against his body. Memorized the taste of her lips and mouth. The scent of her perfume, of her hair.

The same as this hair.

_It--its just hair, _he thought frantically_. Just hair, its not hers, its not hers, its not--_

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that anyone can give up some hair, right? Well, this pretty bit's was special. See, they wouldn't let me bring her head out of the Executioner's Hall. Queen said she wanted her head _displayed_, so anybody with any ideas of eh, _'resistance_,' would think twice."

_Just like--Just like--__**no**_. Hatter felt something in him break. Shatter. Die. He rather thought it might be his heart.

_No. __**No**__. Nonononononono_--"_**NO**__!! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!!"_

"Believe what you want." Mad March dropped the hair to the ground, watching as Hatter's eyes followed the strands with utter despair in his eyes. _Beautiful_. He pulled out the long knife that still had some of her red blood staining it. "So now, there's really no reason to keep you alive." He laughed as the look on Hatter's face turned to rage at the sight of the knife.

"_**You bastard**_!!"

"Twinkle, twinkle, little bat. How I wonder what you're at. Goodbye, Hatter." He lunged forward, stabbing down, but Hatter kicked the chair back to dodge his blow. He kicked out his legs, pushing Mad March back long enough for him to twist out of the chair though his wrists were still bound. He picked up the chair and used it as a sheild as March slashed out with the knife again. He even angled the chair so that the next slash ended up cutting the ropes instead of his arm, and the bastard was free.

Hatter bent backwards to avoid another slash, and in one cock of his arm, brought all the power of his sledgehammer fist into that white ceramic face. It shattered into peices, the thing without a head reeling back and flailing around, lunging blindly. But Hatter wasn't done. Mad March had lost his head before and had come back. Now, he'd make sure the job was done properly.

Hatter grabbed the body, throwing it the ground and pinning its arms with his knees. The voice box still worked as it sputtered out, "You'll...n-n-n-ever see...her again. Never, never, nev-v-v-ever"--

Hatter's fist punched out the device. "Yeah? Well neither will you. I may have failed her, but I won't fail in killing you!!" His fists pounded the body to peices; metal wiring, plastic plating, and even bits of flesh flying under the pressure of his terrible rage. Unknown to Hatter, the black smudges around his eyes began to change, to spread out like veins down his temples and jaw. Two thick smears of black trailed down from his eyes, like tears made from ink.

And then one of the twins made the mistake of ducking back in to check on things. Hatter saw him, and glared madly. Oh, they were going to pay for when they had his Alice here. He'd make sure of it!

Mad March was wrong. There was no Tea, Black or otherwise, that could have turned Hatter no matter what the combination. But for his Alice, the memory of his sweet Alice, he'd gladly sink into Madness. He'd gladly kill them all. After all, no one had ever been able to bottle Vengeance.

Mad Hatter had come out to play.


	8. Chapter 8

I know this might just be considered filler until the next chapter, but I have my reasons. A huge plot twist here!! Hope you all enjoy the show!

And for those that asked, a full explanation of what happened to Hatter will come when he and Caterpillar meet. But here's a hint. As the Cheshire has been heard to say, "Oh, you can't help that. Most everyone's Mad here. You may have noticed that I'm not really all there, myself!"

Chapter 8

Only one Suit held Alice's arm now, the other standing by with the Nine of Clubs as they awaited their turn for the mirror. More Suits were filing in to help escort the new Oysters onto the Scarab for transport back to the Casino. She waited, know that those three special Suits, the Flying Aces, would be coming soon for the Stone.

There they were. This was going to be, in the King's words, tricky. She privately thanked her sensei for insisting that she learn more than one form of martial arts. Judo focused mainly on throwing your opponent using their own momentum against them, or using hard hand strikes to disable them. _'But what if you can't use an arm?' _she'd argued back when she was a white belt.

_'Ah, Alice, that's when you use what you learned in Tae Kwon Do. That art focuses mainly on kicking for offense and defense for just such a reason.' _She'd been surprised that her judo teacher would encourage her to learn another style, but he'd answered her with this. _'All forms of the Art have a counter. None of them are perfect, none of them are fool-proof defences. But the one who mixes many arts together has a much better chance of success in battle. Judo just happens to be my favorite of the Art, and thus, I teach.'_

As the trio of Aces left the Great Hall, she mentally counted down the Oysters as they came through. _The guy in the blue shirt, the blonde woman, the two little girls--NOW! _She turned with all the momentum of her body and brought up a swift roundhouse kick, cracking her guard in the nose and knocking him out. Another one ran up to stop her and she used her good arm to flip him over her shoulder to the ground. One came up behind her and wrapped her up in his arms, making her scream in pain as he squeezed her broken arm.

And that just made her angry. She stomped his instep so hard she knew she broke bones, twisting to ram her good arm's elbow into his gut and then back handing his nose into his face when he curled over his ribs. The last one ran at her, making it easy to flip him over with his own momentum. She ran out the hall and up the stairs to where she remembered the flamingos were parked, trying to ignore the Nine of Clubs' calls to the guards. _And oh god that sudden drop into nothing is just as scary the second time around as the first!! Don't these people know about guard rails?! _

She saw the Aces and waited until the first two had left and then attacked the last one, sending him over the first ledge and down to the other one. This time she sat on the flamingo a little more confidently, grabbed the things neck and--nearly had a small heart attack as she looked down. _Son of a bitch, girl, this is no time to chicken out now!! _She made herself smack the ignition button just as the Suits came out shooting, screaming as the sudden jerk of take-off jarred her broken arm badly. She could barely steer with one arm, and felt her entire limb shake as she forced her broken arm to help control the machine.

As she flew on the crazy mechanical bird, chasing after the Flying Aces that bore the ring, she saw one of the Aces pull out the rifle and shift to fly behind her. She looked down to her broken arm in panic, _Oh god, please let me get through this in one piece! Okay Alice, you can do this. Do what sensei taught you, focus on something else besides pain, breathe! Breathe, breathe, breathe--_

The first shot went past her head, making her yank the head away in reflex. She kept the nose pointed up this time, no sickening dive into the forest below. She knew wouldnt' survive a trip in there this time without a better grip on the bird, and a broken arm couldn't take that kind of strain. He fired again and again, making her rethink that dive into the forest. _At least last time I lost him quickly! This is taking too long--_

Another shot, but very badly aimed this time, for when she had been swerving to avoid his fire, it had made him accidently hit the other Ace. The one that bore the Stone of Wonderland went plunging into the forest below, the poor Suit screaming in terror as he went down. Alice saw the small plume of smoke rising from the ground where the impact occurred as she kept flying on toward the Casino, the last Ace breaking off pursuit to try and find his comrade. The only thought that made it across her mind at all this was, _Uh-oh_.

_That wasn't supposed to happen_.

Back at the Casino, in the Throne Room where the Queen was sampling the latest Teas, the Minister of Clubs rushed in with the news that they were under attack. He led the royals over to the window to see the hundreds on hundreds of skeletal warriors upon the hills.

"There must be a thousand of them!" the Queen cried.

"Well, who are they?" the King asked.

"Knights, your majesty. _The _Knights," the Minister of Clubs answered. He neglected to mention that they'd seen the old man in beaten white armor setting up the bones hours before, ignoring his actions as the King had 'suggested.' Now, it was time to send out all the Suits loyal to the Queen, the poor drugged-out fools, 'to hold the perimeter.' Then, the Powers willing, those Suits loyal to the Prince could help Jack escape and make their move.

"Its as if they've risen from the dead," the Queen said in horror. "Hit them with everything we've got! And someone fetch me my ring! Now!!"

The Minister was very happy to be hurrying out of the room right then, as he did not want to be the one to tell her that no one knew where the ring was.

Outside, Charlie went about finishing up robing his fallen comrades with their aged armor, saluting the many men he'd mustered up to fight. "Come out and fight, you cowards!" he called to the Casino, manning the fortress crossbow. As more of the Flying Aces flew out to attack, he loaded the weapon again and again, ducking and weaving about the skeletons as the bombs exploded around him.

_I will not fail you, Alice of Legend, nor you, Harbinger! I will roust your enemies from their stronghold so that you may emerge victorious!! I will not let down my friends, not this time!!_


	9. Chapter 9

Short chapter again, but if I included the next part with this, it would be huge!! Thank you to everyone that's read and reviewed, you guys make my day!!

And seriously, everyone, go read Chibi-Kaz's story 'Doppelganger Effect'. Its an Alice-Primeval cross-over. Why read this, you ask? Primeval is the show that Andrew Lee Potts (AKA Hatter!!) is a regular character that is a sweet geek, that wears a hat. I'm not freakin' kidding, he's so hot when he's all geeky and techno-savvy!! And this brilliant author put our Hatter and this character Connor Temple, in the same. Freakin'. Story!! The same room!! Two Hatters in one room!!

If that doesn't convince you to at least give it a look, ladies, you are not truly a Hatter fan! lol.

Chapter 9

_This is gonna hurt_! Alice barely contained her screaming as she landed the flamingo on one of the Casino's many ledges in a screeching slide of crunching metal. "God, I hate flying." She shakily stood up and ran over to the doors, just barely dodging the Aces as they ran to mount their own flamingos. The girl ran in and raced down the hallway, smiling as she caught the sight of Charlie's bone army out of the corner of her eye. "That's my Charlie," she said happily as she kept going, not stopping to get a better look like before.

The Minister of Clubs and his Suits missed her by bare seconds this time. But they weren't after her. They'd just received word of a Mad Man that had escaped from Dee and Dum, killing both of them and destroying Mad March. He'd been on a rampage ever since, destroying every supply of Tea he could find and dozens of Emotions Rooms throughout the Casino and screaming for that Alice girl. Hundreds of Oysters were now running free in the Casino, and dozens of Suits were busy trying to round them all up. Children were darting here and there, many calling out for their parents or siblings or crying in fear as the Suits chased them.

Several Suits were getting rather upset themselves, as many of them had children of their own. Seeing so many children, even Oyster children, in distress was having a devastating effect on their morale. Three Suits so far had refused to put the children they'd found back in any Emotion Room and had to be restrained from protecting them. Not to mention the multitude of Oysters that were putting up a fight to protect the kids and themselves from the more aggressive Suits. Things were quickly going to hell in a hand-basket, with not only an 'attack' from without, they now had an actual one from within!!

However, the Minister split off from his task force as they passed through the second level. He had much more important people to see. The man left his Suits to handle the Mad Man, and the other Suits to the Oysters, and made for the nearest balcony with an available Scarab.

Meanwhile, in the Eye Room, the prince had thrown his chair into the abyss, beginning to sweat under the maddening stares of the blank Eyes. But then, one by one, they winked out. Jack tensed and as the door slid open, he put himself into the fighting stance that Alice had begun to teach him. _I swear, if I get out of this, I will listen to Alice and take that Judo training seriously! Its an indignity for a future king to not be able to protect himself!_

And to his complete shock, there stood Duchess in the door, a coat and hat in her arms. "Easy," she said, "easy, Jack. I've come to help."

"Duchess," he said in surprise.

"You have to hurry, I've bribed the guards but they'll be back in a few seconds," she said, handing him the coat and hat. "Put this on, quickly!" She put the hat on his head and pulled him unresisting from the room. He shrugged into the coat as they ran down the hallway, looking out for any Suits that might be on guard.

Jack couldn't stop himself and pulled Duchess back around, grabbing her shoulders to make her face him. "Why are you doing this?"

She stared at him. "Isn't it obvious? I care about you, Jack. I always have."

Alice's words suddenly echoed in his mind. _--'I'm not the one you wanted to introduce Jack Heart to. Who are you really running from, Jack? Your mother, or Duchess?'_

_I won't give in to false hope_! "No, no you don't. You don't care about me, you're working for my mother! You've always been working for her!"

"I did what I had to do to survive," she said, wounded.

_What does she mean by that? _he wondered. At the sound of the Suits approaching, he pulled her back with him by a column, hiding them both. "What are you talking about, Duchess?"

She looked away, as if remembering something painful. "Loving you has a price," was all she said. "But enough of that. We have to hurry. We need to get you out of the Casino." They raced out one of the many side doors to a balcony, finding a Scarab and the Minister of Clubs waiting for them. jack was about to turn to run back, but Duchess held his arm. "Don't worry, he's been expecting us."

"So this was a trap all along?" Jack snapped.

"No, Your Majesty," the Minister replied. "I've been sent by your father. I and my Army of Clubs have been ordered to assist your rise to the throne, by any means necessary."

Jack stared. "My--my father? Ordered you to help me?"

"Indeed, sire," the Minister said with a small bow and a smile.

"He--why"--Jack found a disbelieving smile spreading across his face. "Father. Who knew he still had that left in him?"

The Minister found a chuckle, "Yes, I was quite surprised by it too. But he said it was time for the Queen to retire, she just didn't know it yet. For her health, he said."

"Her health indeed," Duchess muttered.

"Retire?" Jack said incredulously. "Only Father would phrase it like that. But with the Army of Clubs supporting us"--

"Minister!! Minister!!" The Nine of Clubs shouted, running out onto the balcony and stopping just in time to miss the ledge. The poor Suit had been running through almost the entire Casino searching for his cousin, dodging Suits and Oysters left and right. He panted with hands on his knees, ignoring Jack's defensive stance. "Oh---hello--Sire, (pant, pant). The Spades---(gasp)--agreed--but I think--he might still be--a bit on the Tea. (Gasp, pant) He made me his--Regent. Until--he dries out."

All three people just stared at the Nine as the poor man tried to get his breath back. "You--you managed to make Samuel Spade give up control of the Spade Army?" the Minister said incredulously. "How?"

"Sam and I--go back quite a bit--so we know how to--run things. (Gasp, pant, pant) I've had--practice."

"Practice running the Spade Army Suits?" Duchess asked in shock. But when she thought about it, it made sense. "That might explain those infrequent bouts of actual competence."

The young Club found a smile. "(Pant) Milady--I try. And after all--when one is staging--a coup, its best to have more than one--House in the Royal Flush." The flushed Nine finally caught his breath and smiled. "I hope you approve."

Jack smiled. "Indeed."

"Well done, Thomas!" the Minister said in approval. The Nine blushed. It wasn't often that his cousin praised him with his original name. "We will finally have a King that cares about his people, we will have peace, and I for one am eager to see that happen. Command us as you will, my liege. The Casino Suit Army is at your disposal."

_But this still won't be easy, _Jack thought to himself_. Without Carpenter's help, we'll still have half of Wonderland under the influence of Tea, and no loyalty can come from those too drugged up to remember what it is. We must get him together with Caterpillar back at the Hospital of Dreams. I hope that mushroom of invisibility has worn off by now._

The three men quickly began to draw up battle plans and possible scenarios to take the throne. Duchess made use of their distraction to place a cell phone call to her brother, Micheal, the head of the House of Diamonds. As Thomas had said, it was best to have all the Houses in a Royal Flush.


	10. Chapter 10

You guys are so wonderful. To EreshkigalGirl, Erik'sTrueAngel, Labmama, Chibi-Kaz, KCraine, BregoBeauty, Logan the Awesome, I Can Spell Confusion with a K, SleepyHeather, Ayjah, and alittlefaithinme2, this chapter is dedicated to you guys!!

Okay, Okay, fine. For all the Hatter fans that have been pm-ing me about his fate, here you go!! The reunion scene!!

Chapter 10

Elsewhere in the Casino, Alice had finally reached the Game Room, hurrying inside and blocking the doors with the stand like she had before. She was just happy that she'd somehow avoided those Suits that had chased her last time. But she ended up back on that mirror-ball stage, and the Suits that manned the floor quickly had their weapons drawn on her. She raised her hands and jumped down from the stage--

"_ALICE_!!" a sudden roar came from the front doors.

All three turned, Alice rejoicing at the sight of--"Hatter! You're alive!"

But something was wrong with him, she could see it. The lines around his eyes were like black veins, and his gaze was blank and raging. The same awful marks of torture marred his face, and this time jagged tears were in his shirt and his body armor was gone. Blood dripped from his clenched and torn fists, his clothing stained with the bright dyes of dozens of Teas. The faithful hat was barely hanging on his head. "Hatter?" she whispered in fright.

"You stay right there!" a Suit shouted.

But Mad Hatter wasn't listening. "ALICE!!!" he screamed again, rushing forward to attack. He ignored the shots fired at him like they weren't even there, jumping one of the Suits and taking him to the ground, hitting him repeatedly with his sledgehammer fist. One of the dealers immediately pushed the alarm button. Alice wasn't idle as this happened, and had already kicked the gun away from the other Suit and quickly twisted to roundhouse kick him in the temple. She tucked his gun into her coat pocket and rushed forward to stop the awful beating. "Hatter! Hatter, stop! You're killing him!"

"Kill 'em, yeah, kill 'em all, like they killed her," he said gleefully. It turned to howl of rage and grief, "Killed her, killed her, killed her, my Alice! Alice, Alice, _Alice_, ALICE!"

"Hatter, stop it!" She pulled him back long enough to slap him with all her might. He fell back to the floor, dazed, the Suit he'd beaten now mercifully unconscious. She pulled Hatter futher away from the man, unable to stop her small sounds of pain as it strained her broken arm.

"Alice? Alice? Alice, here?" Hatter murmured, shaking his head hard. He suddenly grasped her good arm and the sudden shift in weight caused them both to fall to the ground. She ended up with his upper body in her lap, his blank eyes fixed on her face as his arms barely supported his weight off her. "Alice?" he asked in a small voice, sounding absolutely lost as blank eyes looked at her. "No, she's dead. Dead. Worm food."

"Hatter, what's wrong?" she asked in horror as her hands traced over the cuts and bruises on his face. If anything, it was worse than before! But even though he was sweating with the running he'd done, his cheeks had no flush of blood, and his skin felt clammy and hard and--"Your skin is like ice! What did they do to you?!"

"They killed my girl," he said, his voice breaking as if in horrible pain. The black lines around his eyes looked like shining whorls of ink as tears began to fall. "They killed my Alice"--

"Hatter, no, I'm here, I'm right here!"

--"I tried to save her and I failed her, I failed her, I failed her! She died because I couldn't save her!" he said, collapsing against her and curling around himself.

"Hatter, please, Hatter look at me! Its me, Alice, I'm right here, please, Hatter look at me!" she begged. She held him close as she could, gasping as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist in a painful grip.

"You smell like her, just like her, my Alice. I want my Alice, oh god, I want my Alice back, my Alice, Alice, Alice," he wept.

"Hatter," she said pleaded, bewildered at what was going on. _What can I do? What can I say to reach him? _A memory came to her, of the words she'd said here once before to him, and had meant so much. Words that still meant so much. She wrapped her arms around him, shivering at the cold that seemed to radiate off him. "I trust you, Hatter," she whispered into his hair. "I trust you completely."

She prayed that this would work, she'd seen it in a movie once, and pulled his face to hers and kissed him. His lips were chilled and hard as if he'd been in a deep snow for hours, but as she kept her lips pressed to his, it felt like they softened, warmed. His wild eyes slid shut, his arms loosening enough to no longer cause pain, shifting them so he held her close against him in his lap.

_This...This is familiar. This is good_, his thoughts swirled. _I know this warmth. I know this shape. _He breathed deep_, Oh god, I know this smell_!

_'Look familiar?' _Mad March's voice suddenly rang in his head as he saw the assassin's hand full of Her hair, long and dark and beautiful and broken. Hatter tried to pull back, get away--it had to be some trick---when he felt those false lips part and--a sizzling, electric feeling that made her shiver and him growl--_I know this feeling! I know this taste! ALICE!!_

"Alice?" he said slowly, pulling back enough to look at her, blinking to clear his slightly blurred vision. He looked into the beautiful eyes he knew so well, more tears welling up as he said her name again in incredulous joy. "Alice? You're alive?"

"Hatter!" she cried, holding him tightly. He gasped as he felt her living body against his, closing his eyes to savor the feeling of her sweet warmth soaking into his chilled body. He felt her fingers brush the hair away from his face, tenderly tracing the injuries, and felt her lips kiss the wetness from his cheek. He hadn't the courage or strength just then to say it aloud but could not deny what she brought to life within him---_I love you. I belong to you. I think I always have. I love you. _"Oh, this feels good," he groaned, surrounded by his Alice.

No one worried about Hatter. No one cared enough to worry, not anymore. He had liked it that way, really. No attachments meant less leverage that anyone could use against him. He never offered to care beyond the Resistance's cause. He never let himself care, not after what happened when he was young. But Alice, Alice had slipped through every defence he'd ever built as if they weren't even there. She slipped inside his walled heart and brought a brilliant light with her, and he didn't know if he could live without that light anymore.

He pulled back to look at her once more, cupping her face in his hand as he held her shoulder. "Alice," he frowned in concern as he touched the shorn locks, "aw love, your hair." She just laughed and held him tighter, suddenly gasping at the pull on her injury. "Alice, your arm!" he cried. His hands went to her arm and hovered there, suddenly unsure of how to help her. "Are you alright? Did they let you see a doctor, 'course not, stupid question, did you splint your arm? Did you wrap it tight? You know you need to wrap it tight to brace it, and oh god, you don't have any splints on, Alice, what do you want me to do?!"

She pressed her fingers over his mouth and he went silent but the worry was still there on his face. "Hatter, I'm fine. It hurts, but I'm fine. And right now, you hold me, got that?"

"Okay. Hold you. Got it," he nodded, cradling her to him much more carefully. God only knew where else she was injured. He swore to himself that no one was going to hurt his girl again, he'd make sure of it. But really, a better chance to keep her safe would certainly come in getting her out of the Casino. With great reluctance, he pulled back from her. "We-we really should save that until later," he said shakily. "Until we're safe."

"Oh Hatter, I'll hold you to that," she said in a husky tone.

He froze as quite a bit of blood rushed from his brain to a more southern location at that tone of voice. "Oh my. Promise?"

She smiled. "Promise. But I think we have other things to worry about now. Quick, get that guy's gun, and I'll lock the other door."

"What? Why? We need to get out of here!" _You're going to get hurt if you stay here!_

"I have a plan!" she said. "We can save these people and bring down the whole house of cards in one go."

"Are you mad?" he asked incredulously. He suddenly held up a hand to stop her talking, shaking his head, "No, no, don't answer that." He grabbed the gun and went to help Alice bar the door. _Who's the crazy one? The crazy person or the one that listens to the crazy person? And what the hell does that make __**me**__?_

"Where the hell is security?" one of the dealers asked.

"They're all out defending the perimeter," the other answered as she put down the phone. "Said something about the Knights attacking. We're on our own."

Hatter found the broom as before and set it into place. Good timing with that, as the Suits that had been chasing him earlier converged on the door, beginning to hammer on it. Alice hurried to explain her plan. "Its what Caterpillar said. Mix the wrong emotions together and you wind up with a complete break down. And Charlie said that the Queen only wants to feel the good not the bad."

"So?"

"You ever play bank-robbers as a kid?"

"I was never a goat," he said. She sent him a look. "Um, yeah, yeah, lots of fun that game. Why?"

"I hope you remember how to play, because we're going to stir up some emotions," she said with a grin. She leapt onto the stage, firing her gun. He jumped up into one of the dancer's stands and fired his gun too, shouting to get their attention. The dealers all put their hands up, the dancers cowering on their stands. "Deal another hand, spin another roulette wheel, and it will be your last!" she shouted.

On the monitors in the Brewing Room, the lab techs, or Egg-men as they were called, saw it all on the screen. "Where is security?" a girl asked.

"They're all defending the perimeter," a man replied, tensing as he glanced over at Carpenter. "Sir, we have a problem."

Carpenter and Walrus hurried over to look. They saw the happenings, heard the words she spoke, and the last bit of Denial in Carpenter that had been holding off the last few memories that hadn't already broke free failed in the face of her questions. He kept his face and body still, trying to keep Walrus from being even more suspicious. The weight of the sins he'd committed nearly made him drop to his knees, shook all his body like a spasm. He swallowed hard against the memory of innocent people wasting away, the old, the young, the--oh god, the children. All for the sake of those damned Teas!

_Oh dear god. What have I done? _He couldnt' make it right, couldn't help the poor souls that were already gone. But he could do something now. He would find a way to atone, but right now he had to find a way to get his Alice out of there!

Back in the Game Room, Alice started talking. "Everyone, listen to me!! Wake up!! This isn't a dream. This is real! Think!! Where are your families? Your kids? Where are your kids?! Your husbands, your wives, your parents! Where are they?! You were taken away from them! Where are you supposed to be right now?!"

One of the Oysters stirred, patting down his pockets and shirt. "Where are my keys?" the security guard asked. Other people stirred at the sound, at the questions being asked.

"You were taken away from them," Alice said. "Try to remember them. Your names, tell me what your names are!"

"Taylor," a man called out. "No, no. Wait. That's my son. My son," he said in wonder, glancing at another woman that smiled at him.

_That's it! They're almost there_! "Look down at your feet! Try to move! Hurry! Try to move away from the tables!" The people began to shout and cry out in surprise and shock as they found that they couldn't move.

"We're getting a lot of negative emotions coming through," the girl technician said in the laboratory, trying her best to stay calm. "Fear, panic, confusion, worry. The tanks are beginning to strain, sir."

"Its that girl's fault," Walrus spat.

On the monitor, they saw the girl's eyes snapping fire, determination shining in her gaze. "Wake up, everyone!" Alice shouted to the edges of the room.

Carpenter glanced down at the watch he still wore, the bright memory of his little girl calling for him to wake up coming to his mind. Robert Hamilton had to work very hard to supress the proud grin on his face as he saw the woman she had become. _That's my girl_, he thought. He began to walk out of the room, "I'm going down there, see if I can't help the Suits get things under control."

Walrus' beady black eyes narrowed as the man left the room, and he fingered the gun in his pocket. With a hurried waddle, he went after his long-time 'partner'. As they passed into the Red Hall, he shouted out, "Robert!"

Robert turned, eyes locking on the gun in Walrus' hand. There was no use pretending. Walrus knew. "Come back," the fat man ordered.

He nodded, walking back towards his jailor when he suddenly lunged, grabbing for the gun. They struggled, and with a hard twist, the gun was between them and went off. And Walrus sank to the floor.

Robert yanked the gun away and stared at him. "You knew. All this time you knew who and what I was, and what you'd taken from me. Well, you can't stop me now. I'm going to make things right, and I'm going home with my little girl to see my wife, and you can't stop me anymore!"

He shot Walrus in the head.


	11. Chapter 11

I was blown away by the response from last chapter. You all are so wonderful, thank you.

Oh, and serious plugging must go to ldynwaitn's story, Hatter and Alice: Race for the Black Rose. I was put off by the title at first, but this story is loaded with danger, romance, double-crosses, and totally believable characters and situations that take place all over Wonderland and beyond. Seriously, go check this story out, its amazing!!

Chapter 11

Dozens of people struggled to get free of the Game Room's floor as the Suits began to pound on the doors. Alice continued talking, already feeling the tell-tale tremors, tiny ones for now, start in the building. "There are people out there trying to break down the door, and you know why? Because they don't want you aware and awake. They don't want you to fight back!"

Right then the doors burst open, the Suits immediately firing on Hatter and the fugitive Alice. Hatter jumped down from the stand, hiding behind a craps table as Alice hid behind a poker table and started to return fire.

"This is not good," the girl technician said in the Brewing Room. The Tea containers were already starting to bubble, the negative emotions flowing unfiltered through the system. She lifted worried eyes to her fellow lab techs. "The tanks are going to overload in minutes!"

Back in the Game Room, Robert had just reached the doors and shouted for the Suits to halt. "Stop it! You're frightening the Oysters." He glanced back at the Ace that led the Suits. "I'll deal with this. You, all of you, put your guns away. Put them away!" he ordered as some of them had hesitated. He slowly walked over to where Alice now stood. He kept his eye on that other fellow, the one he'd seen hugging his daughter on the monitors. What had she called him? Hatter?

Oh god, his baby girl was dating someone named _Hatter_.

Alice couldn't help the sharp surge of Hope she felt on seeing her father walking toward her, and sent up a prayer that she hadn't been wrong back in the Throne Room. "What's your name?" Alice asked.

He walked right up to the point of the gun, knowing his daughter would never shoot him. And that he was far enough away so that the Suits couldn't hear. "Robert Hamilton," he said quietly with a sad smile. "And you are Alice Elizabeth. And your mother is Carol Louise. And she hates that middle name of hers, because of all the 'Alice in Wonderland' jokes. She was still on the epidural when she named you, or you would have ended up a Marie." Her eyes went wide and her lips quirked as if to smile and it reminded him of his sweet Carol. He smiled sadly back, and he knew she knew, but he had to say this. "I should have known you the moment I saw you, and I'm so sorry, Jellybean. Please forgive me."

A tear of joy slipped down her cheek. "Daddy," she said softly, unable to hide her happiness. She wanted to embrace him so badly right then, but it wasn't time, not yet. She had to keep her eyes open for the bastard that had killed her father before. She wouldn't let her dad be killed, not again. "I knew you knew me. In the throne room, you tried to save me, didn't you?"

"It was a bit close, but I knew I couldn't let them hurt you, even if I couldn't completely remember why. Now could you put that gun down, sweetie, its making some people very nervous," he said.

"That's kind of the point," she answered, her voice still too soft for others to make out.

_What the hell are they doing? _Hatter wondered, maneuvering to a better location.

Robert frowned at her. "But all these negative emotions could cause a reaction in the system, making it all go unstable and"--he blinked as her plan revealed itself to him. "How did you know?" he marveled.

She made a stern face at him, still keeping her voice low. "Work with me, Dad. We have to overload the emotions, its the only way out for everyone."

"A forced evacuation. Brilliant." He went with her plan, talking louder so everyone could hear. "Just put the gun down, Miss. I'm sure we can get you all home"--

"Its just another trick," she said angrily. "You see this guy," she shouted to the captive people. "He's part of the ones who brought you here! He's the one that hooked you up! And when they're done with you, they'll get rid of you, isnt' that right?!"

It was all part of the plan, but it still hurt to hear her say that. But then he felt it through the floor, a faint shivering, a rumbling. _Its working_, he thought. _These people are getting even more frightened, and its working_! "Miss, we can find another way, I'm sure, now just put the gun down," he said, running with the idea of playing the placating Big Brother.

"You'll lock us back up those cages!" she cried.

"The containers are for your safety, I assure you," Robert said condescendingly. The tremors grew noticeable now, causing even more panic and fear, creating a devastating loop of emotional overload. Everyone began to feel the shaking, stronger and stronger, bits of plaster already drifting down.

"That's it, I'm cutting them loose!" the girl tech cried, throwing the switch and setting the rest of the people free in every level of the Casino. But it was too little too late. The tanks were over-flowing, the system backing up, clogging, reacting violently with the emotions. Valves snapped off, pipes burst, beams melted at the touch of Fear, Panic, Anger. The lab techs, known as the Egg-men of the Casino, began to run, sounding the fire alarms as they went.

The people were free, and the Oysters surged toward the doors, the Suits unable to hold them back. The floor cleared quickly, and Robert beamed at his daughter as he pulled her into his arms. "That's my girl," he said proudly.

"Thanks Dad," she smiled, pulling back and taking his hand. _Oh my god, we did it!! He's alive!! He's still alive!! But where's---_

"Wait, so it was all a hoax? A plan? You knew from the beginning?!" Hatter said in shock.

"No, just now," Alice said with a grin.

"What?!" _She's suicidal, I knew it!!_

"But we can worry about that later, time to go!" Robert shouted over the rumblings of the building. The three made a break for it, ducking the bits of building that fell around them. Hatter held Alice's waist as they ran through the corridors, making sure nothing jarred her broken arm. They saw the confused people fleeing and called directions to the doors, helping to lead the frightened people out of the Casino.

In the Throne Room, the Queen felt the tremors shaking her palace, her marvelous Casino, and knew it was time to go. Damn. All that work, all that manipulation and lovely Tea and control all falling to waste. "Winston," she called as she walked toward the doors, "come now. Its time to evacuate."

"You go ahead," Winston said.

He walked slowly over to the throne, a throne he had once held alone as a young King. He remembered meeting her, a proud beauty that had bewitched him almost the moment he saw her. Or so he'd thought. It wasn't until after their engagement announced, the wedding commenced and consummated, and their son almost born, that he'd found the supply of undiluted Love Tea that she'd been slipping him for god knows how long. A small part of him had honestly marveled at her gall, to poison the King of Wonderland in front of all his Court, every day, for years.

He'd tried to break its hold on him, tried to fight its affects, but undiluted Love was incredibly powerful stuff. It almost never left the body's system without years of drying out, and even then the 'affection' side effect would remain until the death of the one you 'loved.' He couldn't confront her, couldn't divorce her, and terribly so, could never deny the one he loved anything she desired.

She wanted to rule the Card Kingdom as its only Queen, and he gave her the means to do so. She wanted the Kingdom of the Knights destroyed, its knowledge destroyed and history erased, and he gave her the ways to kill them all. She wanted her people drugged to follow her, to need her and love her like no other, and he gave up his ring, the highest symbol of power in Wonderland, to fetch the people they would need to do so. To create more of that bloody Tea, and doom hundreds of thousands of innocent Oysters to die.

He, literally, could deny her nothing. The Love saw to that. Most of the Court seemed to have forgotten that he had been the King before he married her. Some even had the thought that he'd married her to be a Heart. Nonsense. He'd been poisoned to Love her, but that didn't mean he couldn't do something about what she'd been doing with his power.

Winston Edward Heart had poured all his efforts into trying to undo the harm his Queen had caused. The Resistance members kept 'escaping', the Oysters were always 'too few in number', and very few of the Court were ever 'beheaded' if he could help it. It was only small things, things that he sometimes had to use all his cunning to accomplish. Sometimes he had to draw on acting skill he'd never known he'd had to convince her that he really was nothing more than a bumbling idiot, a jolly puppet that would forever dance to her tune.

What would his dear friend Caterpillar say if he saw him now? Oh, he didn't believe Jack for a second when he said he was dead. Caterpillar knew more magic and tricks than any Son of Wonderland, and could easily slip away from danger. He missed his old friend so badly. For a moment, Winston wondered how it would have been if he'd been able to make Caterpillar his Royal Adviser before meeting _her_.

It wouldn't have been long before he'd have had a different Queen, that's for sure.

"Don't be ridiculous. You'll die if you stay here," the poisoning Queen said.

"Don't you see? I did this all for you," he said. _I let the world I was entrusted with rot into a kingdom of slavery, drugs, and corruption, all for you. I lost the one I loved to your 'Love'. I lost the chance to see any grandchildren, or the world our son will create, all for you. I have no place in that shining world. All because of you. _

"There never was anyone else." _You wouldn't have let me have the one I truly loved. I lost him, all because of you_.

"I would have conquered the world, for one smile," he said. _See what a good actor I became? All because of you._

"Don't be so sentimental," she snapped.

"Have I ever said no to you?" _Have I ever been able to before?_

"Stop this," she said, refusing to meet his eyes. _Like a guilty child that can tell its about to be caught_, he mused. "Come along now," she ordered.

He sent her a look, a tired yet defiant look that told her what he'd been dying to tell her all along. "No."

Her eyes went wide. _He knows. Maybe he's known all along. No. He was never that clever to begin with. Fine then. Let him die where he wants. Its no concern of mine_. She lifted her chin in dismissal and walked out of the throne room without another word.

He closed his eyes against the sight of her leaving, cursing the pull of the 'Love' she had drugged him with not even an hour ago. He would not follow, not this time. The puppet had cut its own strings, and would fall to the floor in a heap. As it should be. Wonderland had no use for puppets anymore.

The beams began to fall from the ceiling around him. Explosions rocked the building and he felt the floor supports begin to give out. "Oh Caterpillar, my Daniel," he said in soft melancholy. "I've let near everything come to ruin. Please forgive me." The supports collapsed. The beams of the entire room fell.

Winston, King of Wonderland, was gone.

Outside, Suits and Dealers poured out of the building now, the Egg-men not far behind, and the last agents of the White Rabbit Agency followed. Duchess and Jack saw it all from the hovering Scarab, but something made Jack pause. A sharp, low stab of pain in his heart, and he knew what it meant.

_Father_. He took off his hat in respect, and Duchess lowered her head as well. But they had no time to mourn now. He went back to the console, again talking with the Minister about where they needed to go to set up a proper place to stage the coup.

The lights of the sign, Happy Hearts Casino, were sparking, falling off with the violent tremors. Finally, the windows blew out from the force of the explosions ripping the building to pieces, and in one last cloud of smoke, the whole house of cards went crashing down.

In the field of the skeleton Army of Knights, Charlie had a look of happy pride and awe on his face. "Bull's eye," he murmured, falling back to unconsciousness. _Harbinger, Alice of Legend....my friends.....I hope.....I have served....you.....well...._

Duchess and Jack saw it fall, shocked at the destruction. He'd thought it had just been some kind of malfunction, some kind of attack by the Resistance to try and rescue him. He never thought it would succeed in destroying his mother's Casino! "How?" Jack asked in wonder. "How did it happen?"

"I have no idea," Duchess said in awe. The Minister stared, unable to understand what had happened.

Jack saw the milling crowd of frightened people that had fled the building, Oysters and Wonderlanders alike. "I...I have to go to them. Those people, my people, they need me," he said, already moving to go toward the door when a hand on his arm stopped him.

"I'm going with you," Duchess Diamond said firmly. "I'm not leaving your side Jack. I lost you to another world once, and I'm not letting you go again." She gave him a painful smile. "I'd rather be executed."

He stared at her, and wondered at the sudden change in her. _Or have I just missed the change as it happened all this time_? "Very well, Duchess, but stay close to me. We don't know what we may be walking into."


	12. Chapter 12

We're coming to the major turning point in the story now, and please be sure you all pay attention to the last line of this chapter. By no means is this the end!!

Oh, and you all rock!! There's nearly 200 reviews for this story. 200!! Good lord, I won't know what to do with myself if it gets past that number, but it will surely involve a pinata.

Chapter 12

The Oysters, Suits, Dealers, and Egg-men ran out into the green feilds surrounding the Casino, several holding mild injuries and helping others that had it worse. The Dealers clustered together with the dancing girls, many with twisted or sprained ankles from their impractical shoes. An Oyster EMT was already with them, checking the girls over and making sure they were okay with the limited supplies he still had on him. He also made sure to make a good impression, as most of those ladies were rather cute, even if they had been helping to hold him prisoner.

The Suits mingled in with the Oysters, most astounded at how the other-worlders were talking. They seemed like ordinary people, but for the Scarab marks. A low muttering made it through the group of them. _They're people? Really people_? Most of the Suits had no idea what people were like on the other side of the Looking Glass, and finding out that they were no different than Wonderlanders was a bad shock. It made their actions seem much more evil than they'd been led to believe.

Most of the children stayed with the Suits that had protected them, and those Suits were eyeing the other Suits cautiously. But no one made a move to stop or apprehend the Oysters now. They were awake, no longer lost in a dream and forgetting their own existence.

Now, they could fight back.

Hatter stared in shock at the ruins of the Casino. _We did that. We--no, __**she**__--brought down the whole house of cards. Just like she said_. He smiled in wonder as he looked at Alice. "I don't suppose I could get that hug now, huh?"

Alice turned and he gasped at the happiness on her face when she looked at him. She moved to reach for him when a hard voice called out, "There! She's there! Get her!"

The Queen had come with a shockingly small group of only six Suits, and the guards began to move toward Alice. But the people who'd just been set free by that girl weren't about to take something like that lying down. Hatter immediately moved to protect Alice, her father moving to stand beside her as the other Oysters closed around her, the security guard pushing the Suits back, "Touch the lady and I'll shuffle your deck!"

Alice didn't hear any of it. Her eyes were locked with the Queen's in a defiant stare, and the royal looked away from that piercing green stare. The woman recognized the Power in those eyes. Justice and Certainty. Law and Reason and Wisdom. Righteousness.

Victory.

Everything she had ever feared, and it was there, right there! _There is Power in those eyes_. "Don't just stand there, idiots, arrest her!" the Queen cried, still unable to meet those eyes.

Alice glared at the woman. "Take a good long look at your Queen first," she called, walking around the Suits. Robert and Hatter both tensed at the danger she just put herself in, but something told them to let her go. "Is a woman like that really worth fighting for? This is the woman that ordered her son to be killed with a clear conscience. Is that the kind of woman you want as your Queen?!"

The Oysters and Suits all turned to look at the squat, diminutive red-head. The Suits sent uneasy glances at each other before staring at the woman. _This is the powerful Queen of Hearts? But she's just--_

"How dare you look at me," the Queen seethed. "She's the one you should be looking at!"

"I am not the problem here," Alice said strongly. "You are."

"Off with her head!" she shouted, but no one moved. They all just stared at a woman so full of self-righteousness and arrogance.

"And it looks like everyone is waking up to that," Alice said.

"That's my girl," Robert said quietly in pride to Hatter. Hatter simply sent a smirk his way. "Yeah. Ain't she grand?"

"Don't listen to her! She's just an insolent girl!"

"No one is afraid of you anymore," she said. _God, this feels even better than last time! "_You're just a regular person like us now."

"This is my Kingdom. I am still Queen!"

"And what Kingdom do you have?" Alice asked. "Half your people need you for your drugs and hate you for it. The others hate you for what you've done to the other half. You destroyed Knowledge, betrayed the Justice you were supposed to stand for, and ignored the Laws you were supposed to enforce. A Queen is supposed to serve her people, not enslave them. They would have followed you willingly, if you had done what you were supposed to do. But you chose yourself above all others, even your own husband and son."

She heard the Suits whispering, the members of her Court stirring at the words of that child. "They betrayed me!" she screamed.

"Where are they now? Where is your son? Where is your husband, your King?" Alice asked. "You sent one to be killed, and the other you left to die. You are all alone. You have no one to blame but yourself."

"Off with her head!" the woman screamed, raging this time. _They left me! They lied to me! They chose all those worthless, nameless beggars they call subjects over me!! They __**betrayed **__me!_

"Look around you. No one is listening to you. Your power is gone," Alice said in calm finality. Just then, Jack and Duchess ran into the clearing, with the Minister of Clubs behind them. Several dozens of Suits followed behind him, making a perimeter around the clearing and making some of the Oysters very nervous. But these new Suits sent them mostly friendly looks, some making space and ushering the children and women out of the clearing and the possible line of fire. A few words were exchanged between the men, and many of the Oyster men stood beside the Suits.

"Jack! Thank goodness you're here. Get everyone to fall in line and kill this girl!"

"Me?" the Prince asked in bemusement. "Didn't you sentence me to death?"

"Oh don't be so sentimental! I was just doing my job. Now rally the troops!"

"No, mother," he said firmly. "Its over. You are not fit to rule. With my father's death, you have no claim to the throne left."

"How dare you!! I have ruled this Kingdom for years!!"

"With my father's authority," Jack snapped. "But with his death, god rest his soul, your claim to power is nullified in the eyes of the law. All of it passes to me, his heir."

"Suits!! Arrest him!!"

"Why should they listen to you? After all, you have no army left to command."

"What?!" she shrieked in outrage.

"I was ordered by the King of Wonderland to assist his son in assuming the throne by any means at my disposal," the Minister of Clubs spoke up, looking for all the world like the cat that ate the canary. "And that includes my control of the Royal Guard. I had sworn allegiance to my King; that oath never extended to you unless it was by his will. And now Jack is the holder of the throne. Therefore, my Guard and the Army of Clubs no longer answer to you. The Spades have agreed to it as well."

"And the Diamonds stand with Jack," Duchess Diamond said clearly, meeting the queen's gaze strongly.

"And you have my thanks," Jack said with a small bow to both of them. The Minister smiled at that, while Duchess beamed at her prince.

"The queen has been dethroned," the Minister said loudly. "Long live the King!" The crowd erupted into cheers at this, many people laughing and calling out in happiness. And the fallen queen scowled at the lot of them, nearly boiling with rage as her once loyal guard surrounded her with weapons drawn.

Hatter and Robert had moved to stand beside Alice now, both men not even bothering to hide their proud smiles. "Almost single-handedly over-throwing a tyrant," Hatter said softly. "Makes me wonder what she got up to in your world."

Robert started to laugh, but then thought about it and made a rather frightned face at that thought.

Alice ignored the noise of the crowd and held out her hand. The queen stared at her with black hate on her face. "The ring," Alice said.

And she received the shock of her life at the woman's reply. "I don't have it."


	13. Chapter 13

My god. Over 200 reviews!! 214 reviews!! You all rock, every single one of you!!!

Chapter 13

Everyone who heard that statement turned and stared. Alice blinked at the queen, certain she hadn't heard her correctly. "Come again?"

"I don't have the bloody ring," the queen snapped.

"What do you mean, you don't have it?" Alice asked incredulously.

"Actually, that is the truth," the Minister said with a wince. "The Aces sent to fetch it from the Looking Glass never came back with it."

"The worthless, blundering fools," the Queen said bitterly.

Alice got a very nervous look on her face. _But I saw the other Ace go after him! Why didn't he come back?! "_Are you sure about that?" she asked.

"Quite sure," the Minister replied. "The qu--_former _queen," he said with relish as he smirked at the seething ex-monarch, "was in quite a state for some time at that fact. Of course, we'll send out a search for it"--

"No need," Alice said tiredly. "Its in the woods somewhere with those two Aces. I saw them go down when I came back from the Looking Glass." She noticed the sudden nervousness on several people's faces. "What? It won't take long to get it, I saw where they went. I can take you back to it."

Hatter and Robert glanced at each other, then at a very nervous looking Jack, and then back to Alice. Hatter had ask, "Alice? Where _exactly _in the woods did they go down?"

She sent a confused look at them. _Why are they all looking at me like that? "_Over there," she pointed out across the lake. "In the valley by those mountains."

"Oh no," the Minister said in horror. That expression seemed to echo on Jack and Hatter's faces, her father wincing as well.

"What? What is it?" she ask in confusion.

"That valley is called Tulgey Wood," he answered. "And its the single most dangerous place in all of Wonderland. If those Aces went down in that forest, they're never coming out. And neither is the ring."

"But we have to find it!" Alice cried. "The Mirror won't work without it!"

"There must be another way," Jack said calmly. "We have to get the Oysters back to their world. It will take some research, but I'm sure we can find a solution." Some of the Egg-Men came over to speak with him, the top scientists of Wonderland offering their theories at the King's behest, and some of the White Rabbit Agents were consulted as well. The new King would no doubt make the Great Library available to them, with the Resistance's permission, of course.

The Minister pulled Hatter away to talk, the two acting like old friends, to Alice's complete surprise. Hatter acknowledged the man's words, but his thoughts were still with Alice. _She's staying, she's staying_, his heart sang. _For now, _his logic replied_. Best pray they don't find that ring for a while, yeah? She seemed awfully upset about not being able to go back through the Looking Glass. _His heart answered_, Then maybe we should give her a reason to stay._

"Don't worry, Alice, we'll think of something," her father said, turning to stand in front of her. "For now, lets just try and get things settled a bit. After all, I think we have a lot of catching up to do."

"Settled. I don't think I've ever been settled in Wonderland before," she said with a smile.

He smiled back.

Meanwhile, the Suits were standing guard over the mouthy monarch, as they'd taken to calling her over the years. Before, they'd all been too afraid to dare say it where she could hear but now, what was to fear? The queen heard all of this, her rage boiling over her common sense as she surprised the guards and snatched a gun out of a clumsy Suit's hand. _**This is all your fault!**_, she thought in fury, pointing the gun towards the happy group.

Alice saw the gun, saw its aim, and never hesitated. "No!" she screamed, forcing her father to turn as shots rang out. People screamed in fear, falling to the ground to try and get out of the line of fire, dozens more running and causing a panic. The Minister and his Guard had surrounded the King and Duchess in a protective barrier. The Suits quickly brought the mad woman to the ground, forcing the gun from her hand, but the damage had already been done.

Robert Hamilton clutched his daughter close to him, trying and failing to comprehend what had just happened. "Alice. Alice? What--what did you just"--

"Are you hurt?" she asked in a daze. "Daddy"--

_"Alice_!" Hatter shouted in horror. "Alice, no!" He fought his way through the crowd and went to her side.

"Hatter?" She said dizzily._ Why is the world spinning_--the pain finally hit, making her gasp and give a tiny, breathless scream.

"Y-You have to put her down, we have to stop the bleeding," Hatter said in near panic to her father.

"Alice," Robert said in shock. "You--why did you do that?"

She found a smile for him despite the pain. "Because---you're my Dad," she said, her eyelids fluttering down against her will.

"ALICE!!"

The Oyster EMT pushed through the people, the security guard going with him. "Everyone get back!" the guard shouted. Give them room! People reluctantly moved aside, clearing the area. The Suits stood guard to be sure no one got too curious and got in the way. The EMT quickly asked if anyone else was injured before hurrying over to where Alice was being lowered to the ground by a shaking Hatter and a devastated father.

_He looks so sad. He shouldn't look sad_. " 'M sorry, Hatter," she murmured.

"Don't talk, don't talk now, save your strength," he said, fighting to stay calm for her sake. "You're gonna be fine, you hear me, Alice? You're gonna be fine." Oh god, this couldn't be happening, this wasn't happening, let it be some nightmare! _Let me wake up!!_

"You hold on, Jellybean, you just hold on!" Robert was nearly frantic with worry as he tried to help treat her wounds.

_I succeeded in saving Dad, so maybe_--"I...I guess this means...that a Hamilton is--supposed to die"--

Hatter flinched, shaking his head so hard he nearly lost his hat, "No, Alice, you're not dying, you're not"--

--"no matter what," she said, her voice slurring from blood-loss. " 'M sorry."

The medic swore softly at the sight of her injuries. "Shit. Multiple gunshot wounds to the rear torso and abdomen, of all the times not to have a back-board! Hey you, give me your jacket, we have to staunch the bleeding!"

Hatter flung off his jacket, the EMT stuffing it over the seeping wounds as her father tore strips from his coat to tie it tightly down. "Are there any other doctors?!" the medic shouted. "Surgeons, nurses, orderlies, anybody! I need help here!"

"I thought-(cough)-that I could--change it," she whispered, flecks of blood peppering her lips.

"Alice, please, save your strength," Hatter begged, taking her hand. The black stains around his eyes began to form into veins once more as he felt her slipping away from him. _She's getting cold. She's loosing so much blood, oh god---"_Alice, hold on!!"

Another Oyster ran over to help, and some of the Egg-men with medical training came too. Robert saw this and was hit by inspiration. "A stasis gun!" he shouted. "Does anyone have a stasis gun?!" A lab tech came forward with one in hand, the pressure syringe loaded with a silver-colored fluid. "Make way!" Robert said, carrying the device over and pressing it against her neck. But his wrist was gripped hard, and he looked up into eyes bordering on insanity. Hatter's voice shook as he spoke, "What are you doing?"

"A stasis gun has a serum that sends the body into a coma-like state. It slows the heart and breathing to almost nothing, and we need to stop her bleeding out or she'll die, now let me go!"

Hatter moved his hand and Robert pressed the trigger, the serum draining into the girl. Alice barely flinched at the shot, her thoughts on one last thing that she needed to do. She fought against the growing blackness to focus on what she wanted to say, the last thing she might ever say. "Hatter? H-Hatter, I think I..l-lo.." Her eyes went glassy and slowly blinked shut, her heart slowing and breath stilling. Her fingers went limp in Hatter's.

Hatter would later thank whoever had done it out of mercy, that he was hit hard on the side of the neck and knocked out before he fully saw Alice lying so still and white like a corpse.

Her father was not so fortunate.

Not far away, but invisible to all save one already unconscious, a pair of cat's eyes gleamed. They then winked closed, the better to follow after the one that had brought it back to Wonderland.


	14. Chapter 14

My goodness, you all astound me. Thank you so much for all your support!!

Recommended Reading: Of Tea and Chess by Skye 10, in the rated M section. A deep, twisted plot that takes Alice and Hatter to the oldest parts of Wonderland, and into Hatter's past. Madness abounds as the original players of Wonderland's deadliest game return to power, and our heroes must somehow turn the tide!!

Lol. And even better, its updated frequently. Right on.

On with the fic!!

Chapter 14

Hours later, Robert Hamilton was sitting in a cramped waiting room, his hands clasped together in prayer. He prayed for his daughter to recover, he prayed for the surgeons to work miracles, he prayed to see his little Jellybean one more time. For the chances of her survival, even with Wonderland's advanced technology, were not good. A fractured vertebrae and damaged spinal cord, a collapsed lung filled with blood, a pulverized kidney, severe internal bleeding, and multiple punctures to the small and large intestine from fractured bullet pieces were disastrous injuries each by themselves. All together, it painted a very grim picture.

They'd been in surgery for more than six hours, with more than seven hours to go. Three surgeons were working dilligently, several more on stand-by to take over if needed. For the Alice of Legend, they were almost tripping over themselves to serve. Although, it did help that she was very good friends with the new King of Wonderland.

Robert even found himself praying for the poor man that had protected his daughter in her adventures in Wonderland. That Hatter boy had been knocked out by the Minister of Clubs, who'd explained his actions with the knowledge that since Hatter had been a Mad Man once, he could be triggered into it again by a strong Emotion. It wouldn't have to be Tea, but his own Emotions that could cause it, and by Hatter's reaction to her injuries, it would have been more than enough. Robert didn't understand why they said it like 'Mad Man', and not insanity, so there was obviously some difference, but no one would tell him what. They'd taken Hatter to the Hospital of Dreams for treatment to subdue the encroaching Madness, and to treat the many physical injuries the poor kid had.

He shuddered at remembering the list of Hatter's wounds. Not as bad as his daughter's, but still horrible. The boy was being treated for multiple contusions and lacerations, several requiring stitches, fractures in the bones of his hands and fingers, and dozens of burns and welts on his body from liberal use of electric shock torture. Dehydration and extreme exhaustion were also on the list, and he was hooked up to three IVs, two with nutritional fluids and another with the various anti-biotic and painkillers the boy needed.

The former Carpenter glanced around the room, noting the many people who'd met his Alice. She kept interesting company. A King, and his Duchess, (_note to self, find out if rumors of him keeping Alice as a mistress are true, and if so, shoot him, _Robert thought to himself), several of the Suits that she'd impressed in a battle with Mad March of all people, and the quietest one of them all, an old man that apparently was a Knight of the old Kingdom named Charlie. Well, it was a much longer name, but Charlie seemed to suit him much better.

Charlie had also been seen by the doctors; a severe concussion, contusions, dehydration, and a shocking amount of physical exhaustion by the sound of it. He'd been the one responsible for distracting the majority of Suits from coming after his Alice in the Casino, and for that alone he would have had Robert's eternal gratitude. But he'd also fed and sheltered Alice in the forests, keeping her safe and even helping to rescue her from the Casino before! Robert thought he was going to like this man, especially after he'd convinced Charlie to play some poker with him to help pass the time.

Robert wasn't surprised when the King and Duchess left after three hours. Jack had far too much to do, as a change in governmental regime never went smoothly. It sounded like the man had some definite plans to change Wonderland, and Robert wished him luck. He'd need it for the efforts in cleaning up the mess his mother had made.

In the rafters of the room, the disembodied eyes reappeared, blinking slowly. They closed sleepily. It was almost time to wake up.

* * *

In the Hospital of Dreams, Hatter stirred. The bed in the sterile room had a thin sheet and no pictures or colors besides white. The windows were barred, and the door of this room was reinforced with steel. He blinked against the bright ceiling lights, trying and failing to cover his eyes. He pulled at his arm sleepily, waking up quickly when he felt the restraints at his wrists and ankles, heard the iron chains clinking. His hands were covered in bandages, and four of his fingers were splinted and braced. His hat and clothing were gone, replaced by a white hospital gown, and he had several IVs dripping fluids into his arms. _What the hell--- _"H-Hey, what's going on?!" he shouted. "What's going on?! Let me out!!"

A nurse ducked her head in, saw him awake, and hurried back out. "Hey!" he cried. "Hey, let me out of here! Don't just leave me, get me out!!"

"There's no need to shout now," said a low, controlled voice. "We'll have you out shortly." In walked a small old man in clothing that had clearly seen better days. Round colored-lens glasses were perched on his nose, and his dark hair was peppered with grey. His skin was weathered and tan, and he moved like one of great age. "Hello, Hatter. Its an honor to meet one that has helped so much to change in Wonderland. I'm Caterpillar."

"C-Caterpillar?" Hatter repeated in shock. "_The _Caterpillar? The leader of the Resistance, that Caterpillar?"

"Not what you expected?" he drawled.

Hatter suddenly found his mouth running away with him, "Not as tall as I'd imagined."

The old man found a smile at that. "I said the same to the young lady that was here not too long ago."

"Alice? Alice! How is she? Where is she now? Is she alright?! Is she still alive?!" He tugged uselessly against the restraints as he tried to sit up to talk. Unknown to him, black veins had already begun to faintly reappear near his eyes.

"She's alive, yes," Caterpillar answered, inwardly relieved as the veins receded back into his skin at the news. "She's still in surgery now. You've only been unconscious for a few hours, to our surprise. The medications you'd been given, you should have been out for a few days."

"Days? Medication? What the hell is all this about?" Hatter asked, bewildered. "And why the hell am I trussed up like an unlucky bird?"

"The Minister of Clubs told me that you escaped from Professors Dee and Dum, killing both of them and Mad March. While you've done Wonderland a service in ridding it of their evil, I can see from your face that you don't remember much of it. Tell me, did they make you drink anything? Inject you with anything that you can remember?"

"No, nothing," Hatter said, frowning.

"No Tea, then. How much do you remember?"

Hatter thought back. "I remember being dragged into that torture chamber, and they took my knives, and--oh, bloody hell, they took my body armor," he groused. "Had to smuggle books out halfway past Willowswood to get that, and now its gone. Well, then they tied me to a chair and had their fun." At Caterpillar's look, he bristled, "Not that kind of fun! None of that, just your basic torture. I guess? I'm not that big a fan, so I don't know if its standard procedure to use a cattle prod, but I suspect it goes something along those lines, yeah?"

Caterpillar nodded for him to go on.

"Well, then March comes in, talking about"--here Hatter swallowed hard, "talking about how Alice was dead."

"But she's not."

"I know that now," Hatter said with a flat look. "But he showed me her hair, and there was blood still wet on his knife. He attacked me and then"--he paused. Things were surprisingly fuzzy in his memories at that point. "I punched him out, shattered that head of his. And I remember something about seeing one of those Dee guys come in when I was beating the hell out of the body, so it wouldnt' get back up again, and then..."

"And then?"

Hatter frowned. He'd killed March and didn't remember killing the crazy twins. _That's not good_. "Then--the next thing I remember is waking up with Alice in my arms in the Game Room."

"But nothing of the time between then?"

"No," Hatter said worriedly. "Is--is that why I'm tied down? I did something then?" _Oh god, did I kill someone? Someone that didn't deserve it, rather?_

"No, that's not the reason," Caterpillar said. "You went Mad, Hatter."

Hatter froze, his eyes widening in shock. "Mad? What do you mean?"

"Madness, Hatter. You succumbed to Madness. Have you ever wondered about the black marks around your eyes?" The doctor asked.

The younger man gawked a bit at the drastic shift in conversation. "What? I've had them since I was a kid, why?"

"When did they appear?"

Hatter bit down on the angry retort that he wanted to spit at the man. _Its not a good idea to insult the man with the keys to the handcuffs_. "After my uncle died."

"So Grief is your trigger. You were Frozen in Grief," the man murmured. "Did you have memory blackouts after your uncle died?"

Hatter frowned, trying to figure out the man's 'explanation' and failing. "No, none. Unless you count passing out from chasing the Cheshire."

Caterpillar have him a considering look at hearing the slang term for--"You used Tea? For a long time?"

Hatter looked away, "Yeah. Forgetfulness. After he died, I just wanted to stop feeling."

"And you succeeded," Caterpillar said thoughtfully. "Its possible that you blocked the Madness for a time with the Tea, but as the black marks around your eyes attest, you did not cure it. Those marks are typical for Mad Men, as a sign of their Madness. Prolonged use of Tea slowed your return to emotional feeling, and delayed the affect of the Madness from manifesting. But after your time with Mad March, the Madness returned in full force.

"The Minister of Clubs described to me how you tore through the Casino after killing those three men. You destroyed almost ten different Emotion Rooms and dozens of crates of Tea. You claimed it was for the tea party with the Hare later. Several Suits were severely injured trying to restrain you. Many of the Oysters claim that you kept looking at all their women, calling out for Alice."

Hatter gaped at him. "I did all that? Did--I didn't hurt any of the Oysters, did I?" _Alice will kill me if I did!_

"No," the doctor answered. "Several of the children said you led them out of one of the Rooms that was designed to draw out Innocence. One of the girls said that you were absent-minded and kept calling her Alice, but that you took her by the hand and helped her escape before you wandered off. It is most fortunate that you rescued them, as drawing Emotions from Oyster children has a tendency to kill them very quickly."

"So...I did a lot of good then?" Hatter asked.

"Yes," Caterpillar nodded. "And the answer to your question of why you are still here is this. According to all accounts that we've heard, nothing seemed able to affect you while you were Mad. The Teas were all over your skin, fully absorbed into your body, yet none of the Sweet Teas affected you at all. You were so far gone to Madness that unless you'd received the Alice that you screamed for, you would have gone Mad permanently.

"And that Madness can still effect you now."

"What?" Hatter asked in horror.

"Once you've been touched by the Madness, it can return by the means of powerful negative emotions," Caterpillar explained. "When your uncle died, the grief you felt triggered the Madness in you. All the people of Wonderland have a touch of Madness, but it is dormant. It sleeps so long as we do not feel too strongly. And it is not in our nature to let our emotions be so powerful. But a child, suddenly all alone in the world with their family lost to them, could easily fall to Madness with Grief."

Hatter suddenly understood why his uncle would always sound derisive whenever he quoted the motto of Wonderland, 'We're all a little mad here.' It suddenly had a whole new meaning.

Caterpillar went on, "We've managed to drain as much of the Grief from you as we could, but the Madness will always have some part of you. There is no cure for Madness once it has been awakened, Hatter. But it can be held back, through the opposite emotion that triggered your fall. Or through whatever it is you wanted from Alice."

"So she saved me," Hatter breathed. _She was there in my arms and that's all that saved me. _Thank god she'd found him and woke him up, or he shuddered to think what he would have become without her. Now that he knew what happened, he could remember the feeling of the blackness grabbing him and sucking him down, with Grief as the trigger. Anger, Fury, and Hate had blended with it, turning it to Vengeance. It was beginning to scare him, the powerful emotions that she could evoke in him. But the feeling of something else, something stronger, that she had showered him with in her touches and her kisses, he knew _that _could save him.

He rather hoped it might be Love.

"That still doesn't explain why I'm still tied down," Hatter said. "I'd really like to get up now. You know, since I'm mostly sane and everything."

"Ah, but please indulge us a little longer," Caterpillar said. "If you need Alice to stay sane, then you need to be in restraints until you can get back to her."

"But I can go now, see? Up and talking and lucid and everything," Hatter replied with a look that tried to be reassuring but came across as nervous. It was hard to be cocky when strapped down to a bed in the Wonderland equivalent of the psychiatric ward.

"But the fate of Alice is still unknown," the doctor said, nearly crashing the world down around Hatter. "Her injuries were very severe. I will not lie to you, it is still too early to tell if she will live. And if she dies, you will go Mad. Until we know for sure, its too risky to let you loose. Please stay still and rest for a bit longer. You're not recovered from your own injuries yet, and the rest will do you good. We will keep you posted about her health."

Hatter sent the man a bitter look. "You're going to lie like hell to stop me going Mad."

Caterpillar gazed at him. "No, I will not. If Alice dies, you will find out somehow. And you will go Mad. You will be a danger to everyone around you, because we cannot cure you."

He said nothing after that, leaving the rest up to Hatter to figure out. Hatter blinked in understanding. "You'll kill me, then."

"Yes," the doctor answered, turning and walking out the door, but not before his last words were heard. "It would be mercy."

"Yeah," Hatter whispered despondently. The memory of how it felt to think he'd lost her, that cold, sharp pain in his chest that had made him burn with Vengance and beg to end it all and find her again as he died, made him flinch. "Mercy."

In the window, a small brown-mottled cat sat on its paws, staring with bright green eyes. It made a soft mewling sound, almost like it was chiding him. Hatter glanced over at it and looked away, startled badly, and immediately did a double-take. But nothing was there. Oh god, maybe he really was going Mad. For a minute there--

--he would have sworn he saw that cat grinning, literally from ear to ear.


	15. Chapter 15

Merciful lord, you guys are so wonderful! Thank you so much for reading this story of mine, and your reviews are very appreciated!

Recommended Reading: 'Winterland' by Vulpes Lapis. A funny Hatter/Alice piece with ice and snow, romance, and a few scenes so far that have nearly made soda come out my nose, I laughed so hard. It might be short now, but I expect great things from this story, and I look forward to more.

Chapter 15

Fifteen hours after her arrival at the hospital, Alice was finally resting in the intensive care unit. She was still unconscious and would be for another two days as a controlled coma, but the doctors were optimistic for her recovery. Apparently, Wonderland medicine had worked, well, wonders on her. They successfully re-inflated her lung, grew a new kidney from her remaining cells via cloning and transplanted it, repaired the damage to her spinal cord, and had just finished cleaning up the wounds to her intestines.

Robert was currently in a chair at her bedside, thanking every deity he thought might have had a hand in this miracle. He kept doing the little things fathers have always done with their sick children; brushed their fingers through their child's hair, tried to remember the right way to take a temperature with their hand (use the palm or the back?), try to figure out the machines and what they said about their baby's health. It was almost painful to watch.

When the Minister of Clubs approached to fetch him at the King's orders, Robert nearly told him 'tough' again. But the recovered Sir Charles offered to keep watch over her in his stead, and that gave the father piece of mind enough to go off with the politician. Maybe if he'd known Charlie longer, he'd have thought twice. Within fifteen minutes of assuming his watch, the old knight was asleep in his chair.

Which worked out fine for the pair of cat's eyes, the mouth reappearing and stretching out into a wide grin. They all closed, jumping down to the girl's bed. A simple shape of brown fur, four legs and a tail materialized. The cat opened its mouth wide, dozens of sharp teeth gleaming as it bit down on her wrist, the same place that bore the Scarab's Mark. The mark glowed breifly and then faded away as if it had never been. But a new mark appeared; a ring of punctures that soon had veins of white and green growing under the skin in a similar pattern to the Scarab's Mark, then it swiftly faded from sight. Blood oozed out of the wound, but was quickly lapped up by a raspy tongue with relish. Alice never once stirred, but for the slightest twitch of her eyelids.

&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

At the original Palace, the new King had called for a full meeting of his 'advisers.' In truth, none of them were advisers, although they could give him advice as they wished. It was part of their real positions, after all. Nearly every member of the Court held a title, but not the lands or power that went with it, at least, not anymore. Before the War of the Knights, the Card Kingdom had originally been the name of the region that contained four major countries ruled by related families, with a chosen king as the White King, and majority ruler of the Kingdom at large.

But the Queen had changed all that. The woman had used deadly assassins and poisons to kill off dozens of the nobles of each family, until barely three or four members of each house remained. She then held those families hostage until the other kings gave over sovereignty to her. Those that hoped to rebel and later overthrow her, she had lead the charge in the war with the Knights. The Knights were notoriously fierce warriors, and when defending their home had nearly decimated the Army of Diamonds, half the Spades, and quite a bit of the Clubs as well. The Queen had kept the Heart Army safely in the back.

The son of the last King of Clubs was now a mere Minister. Duchess's brother Micheal, Prince of Diamonds, was the new head of the White Rabbit Agency. And Samuel, the very last member of the noble House of Spades, was being forced into the Hospital of Dreams to dry out from all the Tea the Queen had been controlling him with for all these years, or he would die of over-dose. Now, Jack was determined to bring change.

His mother no longer controlled Wonderland, and without the right to power, had no following left to try and take the throne. She was locked in the deepest part of the old palace's dungeon to await trial for her many, many crimes and abuses of power. And while he would not, could not, order his mother's execution, he was not opposed to erasing her memory and denying her freedom for the rest of her life. The better to keep her from revealing government secrets or worse, inciting riot. It was Jack Fredrick Heart's turn to rule, and he prefered to keep things running as smoothly as possible.

He looked out over the gathered nobles and royals from the restored throne room's floor. "I am glad to see everyone alive and well despite the previous day's ordeal. I welcome you to the true home of Wonderland's power, the Palace of the Shuffle Alliance." Polite applause greeted this, and some surprise. The castle had been abandoned by the Queen for what its name implied. Unity of purpose and peace for all. A sharing of power between four kingdoms, and that was something the Queen would never allow.

He smiled at his Court. "I recall the words spoken by the Lady Alice as to what a monarch is meant to do. What they are meant to be. We are meant to serve our people, not ourselves. We are born to privilage for the reason of the work we are meant to do. We are meant to uphold the Law, and we are not above it. We are meant to stand for Justice, that our people may be safe from harm from within and without. We are to share Knowledge and Wisdom, to help our people to achieve their dreams and to live a happy life.

"It is for this reason that I have called you all here. There is much work to be done for our people, and much that all of this Court must atone to them for. Myself included, he said sadly. We must all work together to accomplish this. We cannot afford to be divided now, whether by petty differences or by ambitions. If we fail, Wonderland will dissolve into chaos, and our people will suffer."

He looked out at them all. "Will you help me to rebuild our world? To restore the Kingdom of Cards to the noble name and deeds of our great history? Will you help me?!"

The Minister of Clubs stood, with his wife and three sons by his side. "The Clubs will stand with King Heart."

"And the Diamonds as well," the new Agent White said, his sister Duchess rising as well.

The Nine of Clubs, the regent for the House of Spades, stood as well. "I know the will of the Spades will be with King Heart." Other stood, offering their support. The time for change and renewal had come, and it looked like many of the nobles understood that.

Jack, as the Patriarch of Hearts had already given his vote, smiled and bid them sit. "Thank you, my friends. We have much to do and little time to do it in, so I will get right down to business. I purpose a new system. It will ensure that we all cooperate in the coming times, that we work together to accomplish even the smallest things. A division of responsibility that will ensure that we help each other. The Diamonds are meticulous in their details and are quite arguably the best educated in nearly every field of science and arts. I wish to see them in charge of the restoration of the public services of the Kingdom."

Micheal was far too controlled to let his jaw drop like it wanted to, but it was close. "All public services, sir?"

"For the health and education of the masses, yes. There are two entire generations that don't know how to read or write, and can only do the most basic of math. Vaccinations and medical help have completely vanished from many towns and villages across the kingdom. With that lack of defense, we could see a resurgence of disease and plague across Wonderland," Jack said. Several nobles were gaping in shock. Most had never suspected it had gotten that bad. Although, several others honestly didn't care, though they went to some lengths to hide that opinion.

"This is completely unacceptable. Think of the luxury we live in. We have everything we desire, but our people do without." He turned to Micheal. "Think of the good you can do. With your teachers' level of knowledge, we can give the children the finest education available. Your doctors and scientists are the most brilliant, and can restore the quality of life our people once had. You can do so much for our Kingdom, and with our help, you shall."

Micheal resigned himself to a beheading in less than a month. "As you wish, sire."

Jack frowned and went over to Micheal, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You have reservations about this. Please, speak your mind."

Micheal swallowed softly. "Your majesty, it will require extensive efforts to even begin to plan such a project. The sheer funds necessary"--

"The treasury is at your disposal."

--"would be...quite...I'm s-sorry sire, what did you say?" That sentiment was echoed all over the room. The Queen had been notoriously tight-fisted, and had hoarded much of Wonderland's wealth for her own use. Nearly seventy percent of all the currency was locked up in the Treasury, at least, that was nearest guess of the commoners. The economists figured it was closer to eighty.

"All the funds of the Treasury are to be at your disposal," he replied. "Wealth does us no good in a vault. The same goes for the resources of the Great Library. Caterpillar has allowed us to have access to the wisdom and knowledge the former queen denied all of Wonderland."

"I thought Caterpillar was dead, sire," the Minister said with a frown.

Jack shook his head. "The mushroom he ate only causes invisibility, not death. He slipped away in the confusion before anyone could notice his footprints. Too many people depended on Caterpillar for him to simply die."

"Most impressive," the Minister said quietly. "I look forward to meeting the man."

Jack chuckled. "Under more pleasant circumstances this time, I'm sure." He turned to address the former Prince of Diamonds. "Will this be sufficient to help you complete the task?"

Micheal Diamond was sufficiently shocked enough that some of it actually showed on his face. He had just been given carte-blanche with nearly the entire wealth of the kingdom, after all. "I-Indeed. Very well, sire. It shall be done."

"Thank you, Micheal," Jack replied, a small smile to Duchess reflected back a hundred-fold in her proud look. "As for the Spades," Jack went on, "I wish to give them the responsibilities of restoring the water and power to the outlying lands and towns of the Kingdom. Far too many of our people are suffering from hunger and cold, with nowhere to go for help. Clean water for bathing and washing is considered a highly priced privilege outside the city, and many towns have been reduced to medieval methods for light and heat.

"We cannot let this go on. Will the Spades help us? Their knowledge of machinery and the layout of the land and waters of Wonderland are unsurpassed. Will they help to benefit our people?"

"My King, I must speak with Minister Samuel, but I am sure that it shall be so," the regent of Spades replied.

"You have my thanks. Now, for the Armies of Wonderland. The Clubs have always led the way in military excellence, and I see no reason for that to stop. However, I think a change in training will do some good."

"What sort of changes would you wish to see, your majesty?" The Minister asked, but he already had a good idea of what the King would suggest.

"In the world on the other side of Looking Glass, they have, literally, thousands of styles of fighting they call 'martial arts'. The Lady Alice was a practitioner of a particular art called judo, which she used to great effect in the course of her adventures, did she not?"

"Indeed," the minister said in some awe at the memory. "My men tell me that a single woman with a broken arm incapacitated five of my best Clubs in less than three minutes at the Looking Glass. She was even capable of taking on Mad March, and actually managed to knock him down as you saw. I would have liked to see a fight between those two, were it done fairly."

Jack found a laugh. "I have no doubt that the lady would have found a way to be victorious." Everyone in the room sounded surprised and impressed at the news that a woman could fight so well. Some of the younger ladies made a note to try and speak with the New Alice of Legend to see if they could to find out if there was a special method or ritual to try and become a fighter like that.

_Alice, Alice, Alice_, Duchess thought bitterly. _Its always darling Alice. Why, why does he love her and not me?! I supported him! I tried my best to protect him from the worst of his Mother's dealings for years! I saved him from the Eye Room! What does it take to convince the man I love him?! Why won't he look at me?!_

"That is why I wish to send several of your best men to the Other world and learn from their best instructors," the King went on. "From weapons to boxing to judo and more. There is much we can learn from their world, and I intend to take the best of it and make it our own.

"And I want to see the Armies of Wonderland among our peoples," Jack went on. "But not just as soldiers. We need to have a police force once more, one that will help protect the innocent from harm. Our subjects have lived in fear of the monarchy, but this we must change. We were always meant to be their protectors, and its time we fulfilled that duty. Send out the Armies to clean up the city of its criminal element, its real criminal element," he clarified.

"There exist several groups that would like nothing more than to see the people of the other world enslaved once more. We must ensure that they are helped to return to their world as soon as possible, and the Hearts shall make sure that this is done. We shall mount an expedition to find the Stone of Wonderland as soon as we can find a reliable map into Tulgey Wood, and the bulk of our army shall clear the way. This shall be done to ensure the future of our world, for the goal is simple. All of the Tea must be destroyed." At this, several courtiers gasped, and many were rather shaken by the boldness of this plan. Others were afraid their supply was about to run out.

"B-but sire, surely we can tax it, or use it for some other purpose," a nervous Heart said. "Surely we don't have to destroy it all."

Jack looked at the man. "Hundreds of thousands of innocent people were stolen from their homes, their memories of loved ones erased, and were forced to spend the rest of their short lives being drained of all love, hope, and joy. And when they had nothing left to give, they were sent to starve and die in the Hedge Maze. To drink that terrible stuff is to condone the murder of all those men, women, and children. Do you condone the murder of innocent children?"

"N-no sire, b-but surely some good can come from all of that evil, c-can't it?"

There was a long pause that made the incompetent noble sweat bullets. "I am passing a law," the King said quietly, "that says that every noble and royal and all their servants must be tested for the usage of Tea. If found to be using, they will be taken to the Hospital of Dreams to dry out, and during that time, they will be stripped of all rank, privilege, and responsibilities. No one in a position of power can be allowed to be corrupted by those poisoning Teas. Once clean, they may resume all rights, privileges, and duties. This law is effective immediately."

The noble went silent and pale, as did several other nobles. It took weeks to purge Tea out of one's system; even longer if one was a long-time user. Two weeks of shakes, sweat, tears, and withdrawal cramps of depression, possible suicide, and hysteria were the bare minimum of time required to dry out.

The King had just incapacitated more than half his Court for two months at the least.

Unseen and unheard by anyone in the room, up in the rafters of the meeting hall, a little brown cat laughed hysterically.


	16. Chapter 16

I know its shorter than usual, but bear with me folks. I'm snowed in with three kids, and this is all I could get out for this week. And due to this weather, I'm afraid updates will only be on Thursdays from here on out. Thanks for all your reviews and support, you guys are so awesome!!

Recommended Reading: 'Always' by Casy-Dee. A sweet Hatter/Alice story about what happens after he comes through the Looking Glass. Job hunting and truly making a relationship work are the least of their problems when a dangerous gang tries to kill them!!

Chapter 16

A small brown cat watched the human do something that looked like a very odd dance. It couldn't figure out what he was doing, and so mewed to get his attention. Robert barely paused to pat its head as he paced outside the office of that bug-guy, thinking. When he'd been brought to the Hospital of Dreams to try and help create a cure for the Teas, he'd asked about how Hatter was doing. He'd been shocked and horrified to hear at what had happened to him, and extremely worried if Alice was safe with him. Caterpillar had reassured him that Hatter could do his daughter no harm, and in fact he would probably die before he would ever attempt it. Everyone else around her was a different story.

While reassuring to Robert, at least for his only child's safety, it still didn't explain why Hatter was locked up when Alice was recovering. With good news like that, what could trigger him to relapse? Caterpillar replied that the shock of seeing her like that could set Hatter off into Madness from Guilt, and had asked that Robert only give the boy an update on how she was doing and nothing more.

Robert had other ideas. He'd heard from everyone how Hatter had been the one to protect his little girl throughout her adventures. How Hatter had come for her in the Casino before, and had led her to safety. And the father had been hugely impressed at the memory of Hatter trying to rescue his daughter from Mad March and the Suits.

And even Caterpillar had good things to say about the boy. While running a Tea-Shoppe, he'd been smuggling in weapons for the Resistance, gathering information as a spy, and providing food and medicine for the refugees housed at the Great Library. Hatter had been diluting the Teas he sold for years, the better to prevent his customers from becoming total addicts. The purer forms of Tea was what he used to smuggle with.

The Minister of Clubs had added another bit of information that had stunned even the leader of the Resistance. Hatter had been making a special batch of food dye and water for the Club Suits at the Minister's order so that the Queen would never suspect that they had been drinking water all this time. Currently, the Club Suits were the only ones passing the requirements of the King's new law.

That Hatter had risked so much, and done so much for the good of all, spoke volumes to Robert Hamilton. And now the poor man was locked away, strapped to a bed and mostly ignored, all for a little mental trauma that seeing his daughter could remedy. As much as he wanted to keep any boys away from his little Jellybean, if he was to let any man court his daughter, it would be this Hatter. Robert's mind was made up. He glanced over at the little brown cat that reminded him of Dinah, even down to the bell on its collar. "Wish me luck."

It mewled in reply, and as Robert turned the corner down the hall, it grinned widely and then vanished into thin air.

Caterpillar walked out of his office, ready to accompany the former Carpenter back down to the laboratory. But no one was there. "Oh dear."

Robert knocked on the door to Hatter's room, having already taken Hatter's things from storage and the keys from a very over-worked nurse that never even noticed them missing. With the King's edict in force, a huge influx of patients had swamped the hospital. Most of the nurses of the Diamond lands had been called in to get things organized and settled, but it would be a long process. "Hatter? Are you awake?"

No answer. He undid the four locks on the barred door and slipped inside. The sight within made him wince. Hatter lay still as death, his eyes closed wtih black smudges ringing them and his skin was drawn and pale under the thin white shirt he wore. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, though he was already asleep. And his wrists looked almost black with all the bruises from straining the iron manacles, the metal splints on his mercifully few broken fingers looking a bit bent. The IVs looked like they were all that kept him alive with as much fluid was pouring into him. Three different machines were hooked up to sensors attached to his chest and arms.

"Oh, Hatter," Robert murmured. _Poor kid._

The dark eyes flew open, far too clear to be muddled with sleep. He hadn't been sleeping at all. "Carpenter," he said hoarsely.

"Robert, if you will," he said, coming over to the side of the bed. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, just talking to the cat a bit, really, going a bit mad with all the sitting around," Hatter said in mild sarcasm, his voice surprisingly weak. He suddenly frowned. "Er, no, not Mad, just a little stir-crazy--no, dammit, I mean--I mean....hell with it, how's Alice?"

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about," Robert said quietly.

His tone and posture all screamed something serious was going on and Hatter went impossibly paler. "No. Oh god. Oh god, Alice"--

"Is _**alive**_, and getting better," Robert stressed, as he went over to the bed and pulled out one of the keys to the manacles. "And you need to be with her. Are you well enough to ride a horse?"

Hatter breathed out a shaky breath in relief at the good news. "I don't think I could do any show tricks, but I might manage to stay in the saddle--wait, what--are you breaking me out?"

With a soft 'clank', the first restraint was unlocked and Robert moved down to the next one. "Seems like it. Don't worry, I'll get you to her."

"....not that I'm complaining, far from it, but you do know I'm here for a reason, right?"

"Not good enough," Robert said, yanking the straps out of the now open-locks.

"As in, I'm not good enough?" Hatter asked, quickly rubbing some circulation back into his hands as they came free, mindful of the splints on his fingers. "'Cause you might have a bit to argue about there."

Robert shot him a look. "As in, the reason you're here is not good enough. You need to be with her, and I think she needs you near her too."

Hatter paused from attempting to peel off the sensors. The father of the girl he loved was breaking him out of the Hospital of Dreams so that he could go to said daughter. He didn't know whether to be relieved or shocked. It came out as a mixture of both in his voice, "S-so...you approve?"

Robert found a small smirk. "I think actions speak louder than words. And everything I've heard about your actions speak more eloquently than any words you can say, I'm sure. Oh but one thing." He suddenly pulled Hatter up by the shirt and yanked his face up to his own. "Your intentions for my only child, what are they?"

"W-whatever the lady wants," Hatter stammered. "And whatever I can give. As it should be! Anything else, and I think Alice would emasculate me."

"She would, and probably with a spoon," Robert nodded, letting go of the shirt.

Hatter frowned, quirking an eyebrow. "A...spoon?"

"A rusty one," her father said with a nod of certainty. "Her mother threatened to do the same thing to me once when she mistook a drunken, rather pretty cousin of mine hanging off me for me cheating on her. She didn't know it was my cousin, you see. It wouldnt' have been so bad if she wasn't holding the rusty spoon at the time."

Hatter swallowed hard. "So she gets if from her mother?"

The man didn't need to ask what he meant. "Absolutely. After all, I'm a pacifist," Robert said with a smirk. "All I'd do is make sure you couldn't run."

"Our children are going to be so violent," Hatter muttered, not realizing until later what he'd said.

Robert caught it, but shook it off for later. He grabbed Hatter's arm when he tried to peel off the sensors. "Not yet, listen to me. The moment you take those off, its going to set off alarms all over the building." He pulled off his jacket and undid the buttons of his shirt. "We have to switch them out one at a time. Your things are over there," he motioned to the bag by the door. "Go left out the door and down the hall to the stairs, take the third floor corridor and out the big window, down the drainpipe. Charlie's horse is waiting there, and there's a map to the hospital and some doses of mild painkiller in the saddle bags."

Hatter stared at him. "How long have you been planning this?"

"Since they told me what room you were locked up in."

"When was that?"

"Oh, about forty-five minutes ago, why?"

Hatter found a laugh. "I take it back. Alice clearly gets it from you!"


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you for your patience, you guys are so wonderful!!

Recommended Reading: 'Little Wonders' by Chibi-Kaz. Hatter finally finds the perfect job as a magician and Alice is happy for him. But this gig might lead to more trouble than either could ever imagine! Lol. Its still in the early stages, (pardon the pun), but it looks to be shaping up to something great!!

Chapter 17

A few minutes later, Hatter had the grey horse at a hard gallop into the city, wincing as he held the reigns with his damaged hands. Thankfully, a few more doses of Skeleton Repair would have that fixed in a week or two. He hoped Alice was able to take that medicine as well, with her being an Oyster. Would Wonderland medicine even work on her? Surgery was the same in both worlds, so that had gone well, according to her father.

He couldnt' help but wonder if Alice's father would get in trouble for busting him out. But surely they wouldnt' be too hard on him. Caterpillar had wanted Carpenter--no, Robert, for a reason, after all. The scientist might well be the only one that could create a cure for the addiction to Tea. And he couldn't do that very well from behind prison bars. The young man winced at the scolding he imagined Alice would give him if he were responsible for landing her father in prison.

Finally he made it to the city hospital. He put the horse by a ledge filled with grass and hid the saddle before taking care to not be seen as he took the back service entrance inside. Robert had told him where he needed to go, now it was just a matter of getting there. He grabbed a white lab coat from a cart of laundry that was being wheeled down to the laundry by a busy orderly, tucking his hat under the coat and running his fingers through his hair a few times to try and look a bit respectable. Of course, that move failed miserably as his hair was nearly untamable. He casually picked up a chart as he walked down the hall out into the main foyer, keeping his head down in case someone recognized him.

Thankfully, no one did, and he made it to her door in the intensive care unit. He mentally braced himself for the worst. Hatter knew this would not be pretty. Her injuries had been terrible, and from what he understood from Caterpillar, it was miracle she'd survived. He shuddered at the memory of her bleeding, lying there on the grass and going so pale. He hated how weak her voice had gotten, that strong clear voice that had changed the course of an entire nation's history had become so thin and breathless.

The memory of what she'd said as she'd laid there--_not her last words, she'll wake up again, she will, she'll be fine_!--rang through his head. 'H-Hatter, I think I l-lo...' He wondered what she was going to say, afraid it was and even more afraid it wasn't what he suspected it was. Bad things happened to the people that cared about him. Hatter forced the thought from his mind. He could ask her about that later.

Something else came to mind that bothered him too. 'I guess this means a Hamilton is supposed to die no matter what,' she had whispered. What had she meant by that? He determined to ask her when she woke as he opened the door--

And nearly was impaled on two and a half feet of polished steel blade! The dangerous metal was right under his chin and held in a surprisingly steady grip as a familiar voice rang out, "Hark! Who goes there? What business do you have with the Lady Alice?"

"Ch-Charlie?! Dammit, Charlie, put that thing away!! You almost scared me to death! You're going to kill someone with that!!" Hatter snapped, shoving the sword out of his way.

"So they all keep saying, but everyone just waltzes in and out of this room like troubadors in a parade! Now who are--Harbinger! Oh, what happiness to see you again! I had feared the worst when they told me you had to be taken to the Dreaming Place, but to see you hale and well does my heart wonders." The Knight beckoned him inside, glancing out to check if anyone had followed Hatter. Seeing no one, he came back in the room and sheathed his sword. "You see, the lady's father charged me to keep her safe and I've done my best to see that duty through to the...best...Oh, my dear boy," he said in soft sympathy.

Hatter had frozen on seeing Alice lying there on the bed, looking small and fragile and broken. Everything his Alice wasn't. Her arm was now properly set in a light green cast, and even through the pale blue hospital gown she wore he could see the plethora of bandages that held her waist and torso together. Multiple IVs were connected to her wrist, and four different machines were hooked up to her, including a machine attached to a pipe that was inserted down her throat. "Oh, oh god," Hatter said in horror. "What..."

"It was a long and ardrous battle for the lady," Charlie said quietly as he gripped Hatter's shoulder in comfort. "The doctors said it was a divine miracle she survived with so much blood spilled. But our Just Alice is a fighter, lad. She will not let this defeat her. She's far too strong."

"What--what the hell is all this?" Hatter said, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He might have helped smuggle medicine, but that didn't mean that he knew how to use it. Charlie successfully managed to explain most of the devices to his friend, and Hatter grew more horrified at hearing the true extent of the efforts to keep her alive. With a collapsed lung and nearly drowing in her own blood, she had stopped breathing, and the pipe down her throat was breathing for her until the sutures healed. The IVs contained nutrients to speed her recovery, along with several medicines and painkillers. And it would be more than three weeks before she could leave the ICU, which truly hammered home how close she'd come to dying. He sank into the chair next to the bed, finding her small hand and taking it between his own.

"Can't let you out of my sight for even five minutes and you get into trouble," he said with a painful smile. He lifted shaking fingers to stroke her cheek, aching at its softness. She looked so damn small in that bed. "Maybe if I'd stayed beside you, you wouldn't have been hurt."

"Or maybe it would have been you she pushed out of harms way," Charlie said in that clear voice he sometimes had. "Maybe it would have been you she sacrificed herself for. Would that make you feel any better? Of course not. Put Guilt and Pain away for now, my boy. She's here, alive, and becoming well as we speak. Let us be thankful for that, and hope that our voices help lead her back to the waking world."

Hatter stared at Charlie in some shock. "When did you get so wise?"

"Hmm?" Charlie blinked as if waking up from a dream. "What did you say? Oh dear, those harridans they call nurses shall be here soon, bringing up that stuff they dare call pudding. Disgusting thing it is, and they don't even have it in chocolate!"

Hatter shook his head and tuned out Charlie's ramblings, pushing his chair closer to the bed. He settled in the chair to get comfortable. He was going to be here a while, whether Caterpillar, the doctors or anyone esle liked or not. If anyone asked, he'd either tell them to piss off, or that he was her betrothed and thus had every right to be there. He liked the latter more than the former, unless of course, it was Jack that asked. Then he'd tell him both.

Charlie suddenly tensed as he stared at the window, not taking his eyes from it or even blinking. "My boy, do you see the cat on that ledge there?"

"Hmm?" Hatter turned to look and saw a small brown, long-furred cat sitting on the outside ledge of the window. It almost looked familiar. "Yeah, I see it. So?"

Charlie blinked. "Ah, the harridan healers of the hospital have charged me with finding it and shooing it out. Apparently its been terrorizing the staff, something about it smiling and scaring the poor things silly. Well, we can't have pussy-cats running about the rooms, all willy-nilly." He hefted his sword-belt, hitching it about his hips. "I must complete my quest, and perchance win the heart of the fair Head Nurse! Tally ho!!" He raced out the room, calling promises of cream and catnip to the rogue cat.

Hatter stared after him. Charlie was one of a kind, that was for sure. He thought over Charlie's words. _Our voices can help lead her back to the waking world? Well, might as well. Nothing else to do, really, until she wakes up. And if this makes it happen all the faster, even better_. He thought a moment of what he wanted to say, and made a decision for the subject of what to talk about. He really didn't think he could tell her about his past when she could hear just yet. There were a lot of things that he wasn't proud of in it. But this could be good practice for telling her when she was awake.

And she would wake up. She would.

He leaned close to her ear and began to talk.


	18. Chapter 18

300?!?!? Holy shite!! You guys!! Labmama, Erik'sTrueAngel, the marvelous Chibi-Kaz, KC Craine, Admiral Lily, Ayjah, Ikaplon, Etheral Demon, and AGirlBrushedRed340, this is for you guys!!

This is a chapter I consider co-authored with EreshkigalGirl. She inspired a large part of Hatter's relationship with Mad March, and thus this goes out to her especially. I hope you all like it!

Chapter 18

Hatter cleared his throat and began to speak. "You know, we never got properly introduced. Ratty wasn't really the best at that sort of thing. Not good at anything, actually, now that I think about it. Anyway, you don't know my name. Oh, my name's Hatter, it really is, but its not the whole thing. Its David. David Cephas Turrel Hatter."

He pulled out his hat, smoothing out the wrinkles and spinning the brim across the back of his hands. His fingers were too broken and clumsy to try anything really fancy now. "I hate that name, David. Mum had a thing for Oyster names when I was born, I hear...I never got the chance to ask her. She was addicted to Tea for a long time even before then, and I got passed on to my Uncle Gryffon when I was one or two, I think. Not quite sure. But she had run off with her latest meal-ticket by that time, and that's the last anyone heard from her. No idea who my biological father is, but he doesn't matter to me. Uncle Gryffon was my father, as far as I was concerned.

"My uncle, now, you would have liked him. He was a teacher, a real professor of the arts. Taught me about reading, writing, 'rithmatic, all that. Economics, history, mythology, he loved that sort of thing. Uncle used to tell me stories about the Kingdom of the Knights to put me to sleep when I was little. I always told him someday I'd go there, and I'd learn the old ways and become a Knight too. Uncle Gryffon, he'd just smile and say maybe someday I would." Hatter closed his eyes at the remembered kindness of his Uncle's words, at how much he missed it. "He'd have been so proud that I got to go to Charlie's ruins, you know. Saw the throne and the Red King and everything. He'd have been proud."

Hatter cleared his throat, trying very hard to keep the lid fimly shut on some of the memories. "He loved teaching, said it was the greatest thrill when he saw his students understanding something he said. He taught from the University of the Great Library as one of its best professors back in the day. He and Dodo were old friends, did you know that?" He gave a rueful smile to her sleeping form, "No, 'course not, sorry.

"He really liked the classical literiture from your world. Had me read some by some guy called Shakespeare. Didn't care for it much then, but some of those sonnets are dead useful for chaming the knickers off a girl--oh god, I shouldn't have said that. Shouldn't have said that at all. You didn't hear that, right? Oh god, I'm babbling. This is bad."

He took a deep breath to clear his thoughts and try to keep going. _Good god, don't tell her about past girlfriends!! _"Now the Queen, she'd been pushing the Teas for a long time, and my uncle always ,warned me against the stuff. Said it would poison my mind and destroy any capacity my heart had to feel anything at all. So when the Resistance asked for his help to stop the Teas, he agreed. He hated seeing what the Queen had done to Wonderland, and if he had a chance to stop it, he'd take it. Uncle was a take-charge kind of guy.

"I say 'was' because he got caught. See, he'd been on the Queen's hit-list for a long time, being a teacher and all. She was trying to get rid of all Knowledge, and he tried to spread it around. He was the one that taught me that Wisdom is the greatest weapon against the Queen, actually. So when he got caught trying to destroy the Looking Glass"--Hatter voice failed him as his throat closed up. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, steeling himself against a pain that still hadn't healed after nearly 15 years.

His voice twisted with bitterness as he spoke, and unbeknownst to him, the black veins had reappeared around his eyes, curling around his face like a mask. "They took him to the Great Hall, wanted to make a display out him. And they did. Trumpets blarin', drums banging, big ol' party in the back rooms and everything. And then they cut off his head. The Queen," his breath shuddered in his chest, "had his head displayed on a pedastel for two years. Said it would help convince people with ideas about resisting to think twice.

"They wouldn't even let me have his body back to bury it." Hatter dashed away the tears that had escaped his eyes anyway. He hadn't let himself cry about that since he was twelve. And damn if that still didn't sting. He didn't notice the shivers racking his body at the sudden cold in the room, or the frost that started to form on the windows. "Never found out what they did with his head. Anyway, after that, I was on my own. I sold everything that I could, but it wasn't much to live on, and I fell to the streets."

He shut his eyes against this next part. It was too shameful. "And yeah, I used the Teas some. My uncle said it could destroy my heart's power to feel, and that sounded real good right about then, what with no home, no family, and no money." He chuckled but there wasn't much humor in the sound.

"I wasn't alone, though. I met a kid a few years older than me, named Edward. Smart bloke, he was, and funny. Quite a bit of dark humor to him, but still. He found the means to laugh while being in misery, so I thought he was a dozen times stronger than me. He taught me everything I know about the streets, took me in and helped me get by. We were best friends real quick, shared everything. Including Teas. I just wanted Forgetfulness, but Eddie, he'd had it a lot harder than I had when he was a kid. So he wanted something a bit happier, kept taking Euphoria. After awhile though, he got completely addicted. Needed a fix every couple of hours just to function. I kept trying to cut his stuff with water, try and take the edge off it, but that just made him angry, and Eddie was scary when he was angry. He wanted to be addicted, wanted to not feel anything else but Euphoria.

"About three years after Edward and I met, one of our dealers did something really, really stupid. He gave my friend a taste of a new batch of Euphoria just come from the Casino. Completely undiluted Euphoria, and the bastard just up and gave it to some kids. You have to cut the Teas with something, Alice, you can't just serve it pure. It can drive you completely crazy, shut your brain down into mush and even burst your heart. Can you imagine what that must be like?"

"Well, my friend got his fix, and then the dealer made a huge mistake. He upped ol' Eddie's price way, way more than the regular stuff cost. Neither of us had anywhere near enough to pay for the bottle he offered. " Hatter stopped to look at Alice, wishing that she could understand, and maybe not judge him too harshly. "We, Eddie and I, we were barely more than kids. The Queen had the whole city in her pocket already. We lived mostly in old warehouses or abandoned homes with a bunch of other refugees and homeless and Tea-heads. We just--very young and very, very stupid," he said quitely.

"So there's Eddie, completely floating—" Hatter stopped and looked at Alice, even though she couldn't ask, he knew she would have—"I mean that literally. Floating. Feet off of the ground, hanging in the air. And there's the dealer asking for loads more than we got and refusing to give Eddie another drop of Euphoria if we don't meet his price. And Eddie kills him."

Hatter took a deep breath as he stood and turned his back to her. He coudlnt' look at her as he told her this. The marks around his eyes had spread, now sliding down his cheeks and jaw, down his neck like thick streams of ink. "I won't go into details, but the lout was dead by the end of it, and Eddie's still high as a kite, and I'd already ran for it, I was so scared. When Eddie finally came down enough to talk, he said it was the best high he'd ever felt. To watch the life go out of someone's eyes and feel nothing but absolute joy and excitement. Honestly, it scared me to bits to hear him talk like that.

"He kept the dealer's goods, of course, and kept on using it. And he started hunting people while he was under the influence. No one that mattered, he said. The other homeless we were squatting with, the rat catchers, the runaways. No one anyone would miss. At first. As with all addictions, he started needing more and more of a challenge to get the same rush. He got very good at killing.

"We parted ways after that day, though, my friend Edward March and I. I stopped using the Teas altogether. The withdrawal was a nightmare. Worst six weeks of my life. Luckily someone found me and took me back to the Library. That's how I met Dodo. He helped get me cleaned up, said it was as a favor to my dead uncle. Said Uncle Griffon would be ashamed of me and what I'd become. I couldnt' argue that, could I?" he said in bitter self-loathing. The cold was seeping everywhere now, making his breath visable and making frost cover the windows entirely.

"By the time I had my feet under me again, March had enlisted as the Queen's assassin. Last I heard, he'd pissed the Queen off royal and got axed. As for me, I tried to find some honest work after that. But there wasn't much to be done and be paid for it, not legally anyway. So I took to smuggling to help supply the Library with some food and supplies. Turns out, I'm really good at it," he said with a full blown smirk.

It faded as he kept talking. "Well, I hustled cards for extra money, 'cause smuggling doesn't pay as well as you might think. And one night I won the Tea Shoppe. Well, that wasn't what it was then. It used to be a factory for making toys. Still have loads of the old things in the basement. I tried to sell it, but no one would buy the place. So I decided I'd try and make a business out of it. I didn't know how to make toys, or make anything, really, so I figured I could turn the place into a restaurant garden. How hard could that be, right?

"Oh, plenty," he answered for her. "No one wanted to spend money on food. No one wanted to spend money on anything almost, except for Tea. Never got the restaurant off the ground, so I was going to close up and cut my losses. That night, I found some kids being sold Tea by a dealer that had hidden in there. He was talking about stuff that the Suits had been getting up to down in Lutzburg. I knocked him out and chased the kids off, but it got me thinking.

"See, a Tea-seller gets all kinds of opportunities to get the most valuable thing in Wonderland. Information. The Resistance had spies, but they couldnt' get very much without having to use Tea in some form. But a Tea-seller gets all that info for free. I thought if I could sell Tea, I'd make myself useful with the Resistance as a spy. Went down to the Casino and took out a form to have a proper Tea House, and when I came back I got the worst beating of my life from Dodo. He didn't approve of my idea, as you may have guessed."

He thought about this next part, wondering if he should mention it. But he intended to be as honest with Alice as possible, and she'd have to hear this anyway if she was with him. Might as well start the honesty habit now. "Dodo, he"--Hatter swallowed back the bile from this memory--"he dragged me down to the Hedge Maze. You know, that famous giant maze that used to be around the Castle of Cards, it was in that book, right? Right. Anyway, that's where the Oysters go. When they run out of emotions, run out of life. They look like dried up husks when the Casino's done with 'em. They can't remember their names, or that they used to feel, or even that they're dying of hunger. Of thirst. Can't remember that they're thristy or hungry, can you believe it? Its a horrible thing.

"The Queen called it a mercy to just let them all loose in the Hedge Maze. But it wasn't mercy, oh hell no. It was so the executioner would be free to take care of her little annoyances, not just Oysters. The poor things just wander around lost in the Maze, surrounded by all these blooming roses, but they're dying and can't remember it. Children are always the first one to collapse, but no one remembers what they're trampling and walking on. No one remembers why it stinks of death, why the bushes are growing out of smashed corpses."

The black marks were crawling all the way down his shoulders and arms now, darkening the veins in his hands. Ice was starting to form on the air vents in the ceiling. The freezing cold was everywhere now, only the space closest to Alice was unaffected.

"Dodo told me that if I sold Tea, no matter what the reason, I'd be supporting this. I'd be promoting the murder and desecration of thousands of people for a few snippets of information, so did I still want to run a Tea House? I threw up all over his shoes and ran the hell out of there. But I still went and turned the restaurant into a Tea Shoppe. I kept thinking that if I could help the Resistance, it would help them help the Oysters in the end.

"That's the only thought that lets me get any sleep at night, Alice. Its one of the reasons I wanted to help you so badly. You--this sounds selfish, and even I'll admit it, but you looked like maybe my only chance at redemption. My one shot to even _try _to atone. But my hands are so bloody, Alice. I wash 'em and wash 'em, but its still there in different colors like the Teas. I thought I could wash some off by helping you. I never expected to love you." He found a dry chuckle, "It would serve me right if you never spoke to me again if you ever heard any of this. But if you do, hear any of it, I mean, do you think you could give me a chance to explain? Five minutes? Maybe?"

He looked away from her. "Fact is, Alice, I don't want you to know about this, about this part of me. Not ever. You shouldn't be stained like that, associating with a guy like me. But I'm selfish, Alice. I can't bear to be without you now, and I don't know what I'll do if you turn me away. Guess I'll just have to roll the dice and find out someday, eh?

"It wasn't like I didn't know about what the consequences would be. About all the accusations I got, the cold looks, the whispering behind my back about how I'd sell them all out just to get a little money. I'd pace in my office, night after night, just hearing those whispers over and over. And then I'd always hear my Uncle's voice, but you know, I could never make out what he was saying. But I always figured it wasn't real complimentary.

"I'd try to push it all away out of my head, try to think of some good times to balance it out. Funny thing is, there weren't any. There were some bright spots but they were purely physical. There were a lot of girls that wanted to pay for their Tea with Nature's checkbook, if you know what I mean. I never accepted it. Crazy things they were; I was scared that I'd wake up gutted without my clothes somewhere in a deserted phone booth. Not to say I didn't have my share of warm nights, but none of it was personal. I wasn't about to let anyone get personal, not again. My uncle was dead trying to make a better world for me, my best friend self-destructed. I figured it was just a lot safer to just ignore that silly beating thing in my chest. Letting people into it just seems to get me hurt, you know?"

If one had looked at Hatter right then, they would have been terrified at the sight of him. The marks had almost completely covered his skin and he radiated the strange cold in the room. But he never even felt the chill. After all, no one really sees the effect their Madness has on others, do they?

"I still have no idea how you got in there, or what you've done to it, but I rather think you mean a lot more than my own life right now. And that's really saying something for me."

He felt his eyes burn and cleared his throat loudly, shutting his eyes hard and changing the subject. "But nobody can deny that I was good at it. Being a spy, I mean. I passed along info and made contacts the Resistance hadn't dared to before. I'm not proud about what I sold in that Shoppe, but I am proud of what I was able to do because of it. It was all done with good intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Ain't that what they say in your world, Alice?

"Well, the rest you know. Mostly. Ratty came in with you, we met, had our grand adventure. Running into March again was a hell of a shock though. Not sure how he got the bunny head, to be honest. But I know how he lost it again."

He shut his eyes once more, not sure how to feel this time. "I punched off his head, Alice. He was my best friend and did so much to help me when I was young and I killed him. In the room with Dee and Dum, he came in and told me"--he swallowed hard, not even bothering to hold back the tears now, "told me that you were dead. And he showed me your hair, and the knife, and it had your blood, and I lost it, Alice. All I wanted was to see him dead, and those bastard twins dead too. And apparently I made that happen. According to Caterpillar, I killed them both. I went Mad, Alice. And they said that the only thing that brought me back was you.

"I don't know what I'm going to do when you go back, Alice. I know you can't stay, you'll be in danger every second you're here. So I guess my original idea of going to your world will have to do. Any ideas on what I can do there?" He took her hand back in his. "You know what, I don't care. I'll think of something later. Right now, I just need to be near you."

He leaned his head on the bed, putting her palm under his cheek. "I just need you. My Alice." At the touch of her hand, the cold dispersed. The frost melted, the ice was gone. The black marks faded away as if they had never been. Unknown to Hatter, Alice's love chased back the Madness that had been trying to pull him down.

The little brown cat that Charlie had tried to chase had heard it all, still perched out on the outside ledge of the window sill. And it smiled.

After all, everything was going according to plan perfectly.


	19. Chapter 19

Hey guys!! Here is a huge explanation for the plot, and this should clear up a few things. Hope you all enjoy!

Recommended Reading: 'In the Little Things' by KamikazeCreamPuff. A collection of drabbles and one-shots that range from cute and funny to sad and swooning! Also great for helping with writer's block.

Forgive me, I need to make a shout out. To Sinclair-Clair, the only person who guessed the plot twist explained here! Way to go!!

Chapter 19

Alice dreamed.

She dreamed of a beautiful alabaster city, where towers of rooks, pawns, and knights dominated the skyline. Giant trees were a part of the place, not interfering, the behemoths bearing stairs and houses with long rope bridges connecting them. The streets were filled with children playing and people shopping, laughing, some even singing as they went about their business. And the Knights, silver and shining armor gleaming in the sun, patrolled the city to keep its people safe from harm.

And then Scarabs filled the skies, raining bombs and poisonous clouds of gas. The Flying Aces shot down the city's defenders with their powerful rifles. The Knights were not idle, and had already begun to fire back with their own powerful weapons. But the tide of Cards was too much, and the city began to burn. People fled to the lowlands and valleys, but more death awaited them there with a massive army of Suits in armor. And while she wasn't sure, she thought that she saw a small boy with white hair run into a storm shelter dug into the earth and the door slammed behind him. _Charlie._

She saw the invaders drag the Red King and his Queen into the enemy camp, and saw the Queen of Hearts snatch the crown off the Red Queen's head. She saw the Suits force the Red Queen to kneel as her King struggled against the nearly ten men that held him back as he was forced to watch his wife beheaded in front of him. The scream of pain heard from the helpless king as he watched his queen fall was heart-breaking, but the Queen of Hearts laughed and placed the Red Queen's crown on her own head.

The scene suddenly changed to the city of the Queen; the upside-down city was filled with people, normal people. They laughed and talked, and walked the ledges without fear. Everyone walked in the sunshine, no sullen darkness or waiting gloom here. And then the shadow of a giant heart began to slip over the city. It covered the oblivious people, chaining and morphing the entire scene into the city she knew now. But some people, some tried to run from the shadow, some tried to hold up brilliant torches that burned brightly against the dark.

But almost all of them were snuffed out except for those that took the last torches and ran with them to the underground. Smaller lights grew from the embers of the fallen torches and fled to the underground as the shadow grew darker, and tendrils of multicolored energy began to grab the other people and suck them down into the dark.

Suddenly she was at her house, the original little yellow house that they'd lived in out in the country when she was young. Her father was walking into the house with a small bundle in his arms and calling for Carol to hurry and bring a towel. She saw a younger form of herself run out and ask what was wrong, and saw that he carried an injured cat. "Dinah?" Alice asked in confusion.

She saw the cat getting better, sitting in her child-sized lap as she stroked it. She saw Dinah and herself playing innocent games, and felt a stab of pain in her heart at how badly she missed that sweet pet. And then she saw that awful day when her beloved cat had died, and she had been held by her father for hours before he'd finally gone to bury it.

Alice then saw her young self cradle the dead cat to her chest, silently crying as her father took Dinah from her and lowering it into the grave. But something was off about this. When the child had held the cat, something, a faint silvery thing, had jumped from the cat to be absorbed by the girl with her none the wiser.

All the while, she heard a whispering voice, too soft to make out the words said. She closed her eyes against what she saw, trying to focus on teh voice to drown out the visions. Alice still couldn't understand the words, but she now knew the voice. Or rather, voices. _Daddy. Hatter. Charlie and Jack, and is that Duchess too? What are they talking about? What is going on? Is this a dream?_

"Indeed it is a dream," said a wonderfully familiar voice close to her ear. "But its also a hell of a history lesson, yeah?"

Her eyes flew open, "Hatter!"

It was his shape, his body, his face, standing there in a clearing of summer forests. He wore a tight sleeveless black shirt with a high-neck collar and a deep purple tie hung loose around his neck. Tight black jeans rode low on his hips, and he wore no shoes on his feet. A purple top-hat covered his unruly hair, and black fingerless gloves covered his hands. Streaks of black lined his face and eyes. But it was his eyes that told her this was not Hatter. The eyes were green and slitted.

Just like a cat's.

"Hello, Alice," he--no, _**it**_--said softly.

_What the hell is going on?! _"Wh-who are you?"

He cocked his head at her, smiling the smirk she loved seeing on Hatter. "What, don't you know me?"

"You're not Hatter."

"Clever girl!" He applauded. "But do you really not know me, Alice? Really? Think. All this has something in common, you know this."

She tried to think of what the sad history of Wonderland and her pet cat had in common, shaking her head in frustration. "Really, Alice, I expected better of you," the man--thing that looked like Hatter chided. "Since you've come to Wonderland, you've been expecting me, and in the Kingdom of the Knights I came to visit you. I tried to help you find your way in the rooms in your mind, but the funny bunny came too close so I had to wake you. Come now, I've all but told you the answer!"

She suddenly understood and stared, more afraid than she had been when facing Mad March. "You...you're the Cheshire Cat. Aren't you?"

"Correct!" Hatter's voice purred directly in her ear, making her jump in fright as the Cheshire was now right beside her. "At least, that's the name you know of what I am. And what all you've seen has in common is that its all things from my history, sweet Alice."

"Your history?" she asked in confusion. "What do you--you....you were Dinah?!" _It couldn't be!_

He--_**it**_--shrugged. "I don't really have a solid form, you know. The cat was just my way of saying hello to the first Alice, but it seems to have stuck with me. Being famous and written about in a book and all, it really goes to one's head. Well, I went over to your world for the salmon, but on my way to that charming little market in Waverly"---pink rose in its cheeks. "Of all the indignified things, I wasn't paying attention and was hit by a car. And it scrambled all the thoughts in my adorable head into that of a real pussy-cat's."

"And Dad brought you home," Alice breathed. "And I called you Dinah because"--

"Alice in Wonderland had a cat named Dinah, yes, I remember the conversation about that with your mother," Cheshire said in distaste. "Not quite original, but you were just a child. Named Alice at that, so what else could you do?"

"But Dinah died," Alice said slowly. "Right?"

"Oh, indeed, my cat form died," Cheshire dismissed it with a negligent shrug. "But as for me, myself, personally, no. I am the living embodiment of Wonderland. If I die, it dies. If it dies, I die. As you can imagine, its quite hard for a land to die, so thus, I'm quite a long lived little thing."

"Why are you here with me then? What do you want?"

"Oh, now that's an interesting tale. Shall I tell it to you?"

"Please do," she asked nervously at his predatory look. Alice couldn't remember ever being scared like this before. This was like nerves at a judo tournament plus flying a flamingo and Mad March with a knife all in one!! But even worse, was the fact that she had always been afraid of the Cheshire Cat. Even when she was little, she'd been terrified of the thing when her dad had read her the story. It was her very first fear, and now it was right here in front of her!!

"Very well," Cheshire said. "When my physical form died, I found myself in a bit of a quandary. You see, I still didn't remember who, or more correctly _what_, I was. So I attached myself to the one that had showered me with affection, carried me around everyday on her little shoulders. The one that had given me a very pure form of Love, Innocent Love, and thank you for that, by the way," it said softly. Cheshire reached out and gently touched her cheek, and it took some effort for her not to flinch. It didn't seem to mind. "Love is a powerful thing, and us Wonderlanders respect and desire it dearly above all else.

"But I digress," Cheshire said, moving away from her and gesturing as Hatter did when he spoke. "When I jumped to you, I kept a residence inside your heart, the physical thing, dearest, not the metaphorical. That was a far too-convulted mess most of the time after you father was stolen away, gave me quite the headache. Anyway, I was still confused, well, more than I usually am, and thus I slept. I dreamed of my Wonderland, and I dreamed of all that had happened here while I was away. So when you stepped into the Looking Glass, I was still dreaming and had no idea where we were.

"It wasn't until you tried to go back after it all was said and done that I woke up, and then I had to come back, didn't I? Its not everyday someone gets a free ticket home when they can't walk, think, speak, or even be alive enough to call for the bus, right?"

"So you're the reason the Mirror sent me back to the camp?" She asked in shock. "You're the reason we went back in time?"

"Right you are, dear one! The silly humans think that their knobs and switches control the Glass, oh how quaint. No, no. The one in charge of that convoluted thing is yours truly," it tipped its top-hat to her, smiling Hatter's crooked smirk. "Oh, and the fact that you chose a Wonderland boy to hold that glass heart of yours is a splendid thing, Alice, simply splendid! After that, all I needed to be alive again was something you were already pouring out and so I took it. You didn't seem to mind at the time."

"What did you take?" Alice asked warily._ And what does he mean about Hatter?_

"Oh, not much you'd miss, since you really were just giving it away at that point. A pound of flesh, provided by the Queen really, besides the point that it was ripped out by bullets. Then a long shot of blood that was fountaining out of you, and last but not least," it said, circling her, "some Time. Your Time, to be precise."

She shivered in horror at its words. "T--Time?"

"Oh yes," Cheshire said, still circling. "You humans spend Time, waste Time, kill Time, all the Time! I just took some that you won't even miss."

"How much?" Alice asked, unable to stop shivering now. It had grown so cold all of a sudden, the area around them suddenly icy and the green trees nothing but skeleton branches without leaves.

"Only enough to get me started," it said with a roll of its eyes. "Just enough so Wonderland will recognize me and get off its convoluted landmass to help me. Once that happens, you get to wake up."

"Wake up?" She hated sounding like a recording, but none of this made sense!!

"Oh yes, you've been in something called a coma all this time," Cheshire said with a negligent shrug. "When Wonderland wakes up, you'll wake up. I promise."

She frowned, rubbing her arms against the cold. "What good are the promises of a cat?"

The shape-shifter stared at her with those large slitted eyes. "Good question." It sudden shifted back into the form of Dinah, but bigger, much bigger! Until it was at eye level with her, and that wide, frightening grin smiled with all its dagger-like teeth. "You're cold, little Alice," it said. "I'll keep you warm." It laid down on its side, motioning with a paw for her to come closer.

Alice stared in confusion and fright at the warped thing that was her little cat once. But those eyes were no longer coldly staring, but soft and glowing green. _Just like Dinah's_, she thought, nearly smacking herself as she realized that it had been Dinah all along. She shook her head and slowly approached the beast. Cautiously she knelt down and sat on the regrown grass, the clearing slowly turning back to spring-like growth on the trees.

"I don't bite," Cheshire rumbled. "At least, not since I last ate." On seeing her freeze, it laughed in Hatter's voice. "Oh let's not be silly. Go on, lay down. You'll be whole and hale when you wake. In the rest of the time, listen to the voices."

"Oh yeah, that's great advice," Alice muttered, somewhat shocked to find herself leaning against the cat for warmth. How could she be so sleepy when she was already asleep?

"Indeed it is," Cheshire said cheerfully. "You find out the most interesting things that way. Take your Hatter, for instance. Why, he's talking to you right now!!"

She felt her eyes close against her will and heard Hatter's wonderful voice speak. It sounded a little muffled, like hearing it through a wall, but the words still came through clearly. _"You know, we never got properly introduced. Ratty wasn't really the best at that sort of thing. Not good at anything actually. Anyway, you don't know my name. Oh, my name's Hatter, it really is, but its not the whole thing. Its David. David Cephas Turrel Hatter...."_

"Don't worry, pet," the Cheshire purred softly as it felt her relax against its side, slipping into her visions. "You rest. And dream, my little darling, dream. Grow strong. And then you can help me get back what's rightfully mine. The Knights tricked it out of me, and Alice stole it from them for me, but then she made it into a silly ring!! But you'll help me, won't you, my little pet? You'll help me get my pretty eye back, you will."

It grinned lazily, its many sharp teeth gleaming. "And then, oh then, together we will return the Old Magic to Wonderland. We will reform the world! And Haigha's son will help, with that heart of his." It licked its chops in anticipation. "It should be quite tasty."


	20. Chapter 20

Wow! I'm glad everyone seems to like my Cheshire Cat, that last chapter had more than 20 reviews! You all rock.

Recommended Reading: 'Dead on Our Feet' by LadyofSpring. A steamy one-shot that's pure Alice and Hatter fluff.

Chapter 20

Hatter slowly shifted and stretching out his arms and bending the kinks out of his back as he sat back up from the bed. He saw a pile of clean clothes lying beside him and sent a mental thank you to the nurses that had taken a shine to him over the last three days. They'd believed him when he said he was her fiance, but her father didn't approve of their engagement, so could they keep it a secret that he was there? The dear older women had tittered over how romantic it all was and had seen fit to get him some clean laundry and had even washed the blood out of his leather jacket. So far, it seemed no one but Charlie and the nurses knew he was here, and he preffered it that way.

Although he was really starting to wonder where her father was. _Hasn't seen Alice since she was ten, finally gets her back, and hasn't come by to see her once. What the hell is going on with that old man? _Then again, finding a way to completely purge the body of all the affects of Tea, including the addiction, had to be hard work. But still! Alice worked so hard to get her father back, and now he leaves her again!!

Even Jack had been more considerate than that. Hatter had gone down to get some food from the cafeteria at Charlie's insistance, and while he was gone, that crazy old Knight had let that ponce in to see Alice! Hatter had walked back to her room to find Charlie chatting with a Suit that looked more and more nervous as the old man talked. Probably worried that he was talking to a lunatic. Hatter had hidden around the corner to avoid discovery and then headed down the opposite hall to come around the other side to try and check on Alice. He made it to the door and saw Jack sitting beside the bed talking to her.

Jack had looked very uncomfortable as he looked at the poor girl. He'd fidgeted for quite some time before he gathered the courage to speak to the one he felt so responsible for failing to protect. "Alice, I'm sorry. I know I should have said it sooner, and I should have come to talk to you sooner, and at least sounded sincere. But there was so much going on with the Resistance, and my mother, and....no. No, I'm sorry. No excuses. I'm sorry about dragging you into this, I'm sorry for not being honest. I'm sorry for using you to get to Carpenter, and I'm sorry for everything that's happened. You didn't deserve this, any of this.

"I thought about what you said, Alice, I really did. But I still want you as my Queen." Hatter had gasped silently at those words, a feeling of terror going through him. He could never compete with a King!! "Not for the reasons you might think, dear Alice. I think you would make a great and wonderful Queen. You're compassionate and brave and honest and loyal. You're insightful and confident, and you have an air about you that commands attention and respect. You'd be perfect for a royal, despite what you might say.

"I know you don't love me anymore. And from what I hear, I know who you do love, and while I question your taste, I respect your choice. And I would still ask you to be my Queen. You could have him as a consort, as long as any children could be proven as mine, but I know you'd never stand for that." Hatter had almost said 'to hell with it' and walked in to use his sledgehammer fist on that pretty-boy face right then, but was barely restrained by the fact that if he got violent, they'd kick him out of Alice's room. Jack went on, "Its just that--

"Oh Alice, the woman I love, you were right. I _was _running from Duchess. But its because she loves me, _just _me. She has very little compassion for others, and little kindness. And that terrifies me, Alice. My father, he loved my mother so much he let Wonderland go to ruin to please her. I love Duchess so much, Alice, I truly do. But what if I'm not strong enough to stop from doing the same as my father? If I make Duchess my Queen, she could easily do the same thing as Mother. I don't dare love her, Alice, I don't dare. She would rule me completely. You would at least serve the people first, even if you were a tyrant with me.

"I know you would tell me no if I asked you to rule with me, but I still wish you would. But--ah, how does the saying go in your world? 'If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride,' yes that's it." Jack had rose from the chair then, stroking back some hair from her face. "Please make it through this, Alice. I miss you. And I know that he does too." The King of Wonderland had left quietly after that, calling for his Suits to follow him. Charlie returned to his post guarding the door to Alice's room, and things had settled down a bit. It had also given Hatter a lot to think about.

Hatter blearily rubbed a hand across his eyes as he went to change into something clean. It had been more than 96 hours since he'd gotten even a wink of sleep. First running to get the Resistance to help them, then chasing Alice back to the Casino, the torture with the freaky D's, then when Alice was hurt---he took in a shaky breath to keep from thinking about that terrifying moment. Then he'd been knocked out, but that didn't count as sleep. He'd got no rest out of it, and then he'd woke up in the Hospital of Dreams and hadn't slept since then. He couldn't sleep, not without seeing Alice wake up first. As soon as he knew she'd really be alright, he could sleep.

He settled back into the chair that was becoming so familiar to him. Really. He'd sleep then. Right then, no sooner. As soon as...he saw his Alice...awake....

He rubbed his eyes, sure they were playing tricks on him. It almost looked like some kind of mist came from Alice's mouth and curled around him. It curled up towards his mouth, a sweet perfume that made his eyes heavy and his head nod. A soft voice crooned a song, almost hypnotic in its rhythm, "Sweet dreams are made of these, who am I to disagree, I've traveled the world and the seven seas, everybody's looking for something...."

Hatter had a few seconds to wonder how Alice could be singing to him if she was in a coma before---

He opened his eyes and blinked hard, surprised to see himself back at the office of his Tea Shoppe. He was dressed just as he was when he first met Alice, and all his injuries were gone. He glanced around the office, and hearing nothing from the other rooms to his surprise, he kicked off his shoes and socks and let his feet walk on the soft grass. He sank down into his white chair, slipping his hat off his head as exhaustion swept over him. _Huh. How can I be so tired if I'm already asleep?_

"Hatter?"

He jerked up from the chair, whirling as he heard her soft voice. "Alice?!"

She was there, in that little blue dress and nothing else, no jacket or tights or boots. Just her small, delicate feet in the green grass, and her legs that looked absolutely lovely to him. Her hair was the same length it had been when he first saw her, and she nervously tucked it behind her ear as he stared at her. Her look turned to concern and she lifted her hand, moving forward to try and cup his cheek. "Hatter? Are you alright? You look so pale."

He didn't say a word, just rushed forward and held her tight in his arms. He nearly gasped at the feeling of her, the sweet scent of her body pouring off her in gentle waves. She returned the embrace, wrapping her arms under his jacket and nuzzling into his chest. "Hatter," she murmured happily.

Hatter nearly wept at the sound of her voice joyfully saying his name. The man lifted her up in his arms with shocking ease, carrying her over to his chair and sat down with her in his lap. He pulled his knees up around her, his body cradling her's against himself. "You're the only medicene I need," he said hoarsely. Hatter couldnt' believe it; she was here, warm and bright and alive in his arms. He pulled back to look at the face he loved. "Alice. I missed you."

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," she smiled at him. She still looked a bit worried as she spoke. "But are you sure you're okay?" She brushed back a few strands of hair away from his face, and he leaned his cheek into her warm hand. "You still look so pale."

"Stress, that's all it is. Just some things on my mind, love, but none of it matters now." His hands slid down from her shoulders to her waist, loving the feel of the curve of her spine. Warm brown eyes looked deep into her own. "You're all that matters now."

"Hatter," she whispered softly, her smile growing to a look of joy as she wrapped her arms further around him, her hands rubbing along his spine under his coat. She nuzzled against his collarbone, making him groan, and then she looked up into his eyes. They began to move closer and closer together, her eyes slipping shut as he barley brushed his lips against that sweet mouth---

And then someone was shaking him, shaking him hard enough to wake him from the dream. He nearly reared back his arm, taking a half-hearted swing as the nurse moved back from him. "Mr. Hatter, sir? The doctor is here to see Lady Alice."

"What? Oh. Oh, good, right." He shook himself hard to clear his mind. That dream had been so real. _That's what you get for not sleeping in so long. _The doctor came in a few moments later, checked her vital signs and read outs, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hatter. There's still no change. We're trying our best to determine what could be keeping her in the coma, but until she wakes, there's nothing we can do."

Hatter sat back with a bone-weary sigh. Still no change. The doctors had tried to wake her from the induced coma 36 hours ago. Nothing had worked. There was no change, not even an increase in heartbeat. They'd tried the antidote to the suspension serum, adrenaline to her heart, every stimulant they could think of that would be safe for her to take, but nothing had any affect. She had slipped into a real coma, and there was no way to change that unless she woke up on her own. Hatter had never felt so useless in his life.

He slipped down in his chair as the doctor left the room with a look of pity on his face for the poor man. Hatter didn't even notice. He took her small hand between his own and laid his head down on her bed. It was an awkward position, but it worked for him. A soft sound began to fill his ears, and he glanced around in worry. That had happened before, right? Oh god. He was hearing songs from nowhere, and he was starting to get very concerned for his sanity.

A lilting voice that sounded like his Alice crooned out a soft song, slow and sweet. "Every night I rest in my bed, hoping I'll get the chance to see you when I close my eyes...."

It felt like a sleepy pull on his body, an irresistable siren call to slumber. His eyes drifted shut again--

And suddenly he was back in his office, Alice still in his lap. She smiled at him with a bit of mischeif in her eyes. "Hello, Hatter. I missed you."

He gaped at being so lucky to fall right back into the dream. "How--don't care, don't care." He put both hands beside her head and pulled her forward, kissing her deeply. She whimpered into the kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around him as his arms shifted to pull her even closer. It was with great reluctance that he pulled back. "Somehow, I get the feeling that certain people are going to love trying to interupt us from kissing, and I intend to get around that by just randomly kissing you as soon as I'm able. Or whenever it strikes my fancy. Sound good to you?"

Alice laughed outright. "Yeah, that works." She kissed him this time, sweet and slow and he felt his toes curl in the grass. With a small groan of protest from him, she pulled back from that drugging kiss. "Hatter? There's something I need to tell you."

He blinked to clear away the pleasured fog her touch always seemed to cause in his brain. Her words registered and he felt a stab of fear at her tone. "What is it?"

She looked down, unable to face him, "I--I don't know if you'll ever forgive me for this. Please, just listen, and hear me out?"

That stab of fear began to clench his guts. "What do you mean?"

Tears of hot shame slipped down her face. "I almost left you. When they took me to the Mirror, to send me back, I almost went. I--I was tired and scared and I know its no excuse, but I wanted to go home and I would have left you here with the Tweedles and my dad here alone and I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Hatter, please, please forgive me."

Strong, warm hands cupped her cheeks, and calloused thumbs brushed the tears from her cheeks. "But Alice, you didn't. You came back," he said softly, a smile on his face. How could she be worried about such a thing?

"But"--

"Actions speak much louder and clearer than words," he said, tapping her nose with his finger. "And your actions spoke of bravery and courage and hope. Even if you hesistated, who wouldn't? This was a hell of a big peice of pie to choke down in one bite, but you did it, Alice. You stayed, and you changed everything. You certainly changed me."

"Nothing about you changed," she said, a small smile growing on her lips as she kissed him. "You just finally got to show everyone the man you've always been."

His smile tightened at that._ If only you knew_. "Well then. Its official, you're being silly. Nothing to forgive there, Alice."

She laughed in relief at his words. Suddenly the scenary shifted, the grass disappearing but his feet still bare as wooden floors formed under them. Cream colored walls rose up, a wall of mirrors on one side. Two flags of some kind hung on the front wall, and several soft looking squares and assorted pads were lined up in a corner. Hatter blinked in surprise as Alice slipped out of his lap with a happy look on her face, taking his hand and leading him across teh room. "Where are we?"

Her smile grew. "This is my dojo, the place where I learned how to fight."

"Really?" he said in interest, looking around. He had wanted to learn more about the odd way he'd seen her deal with her attackers. It was devastatingly affective.

"Yep," she said, popping the p like he had when he'd first met her. "This is my school of hard knocks, literally." She began to tell him all about her time here, teaching students and being taught. He listened intently, stopping her every now and then for a good long kiss, or snogging, as he called it. She told him so many stories, and when she'd start a new one, the dream would change to match the places she described. Hatter loved it.

When one dream ended, another began, and they would be dressed differently, or would be in different places. Sometimes the forests of the Kingdom of Knights, sometimes a restaraunt of her world, sometimes the Great Library, or even back to the Tea Shoppe. He'd even taken her up to the small flat above the Shoppe that he called home, oh, she'd loved seeing it. But each dream had them together, talking and laughing and learning about each other. It almost felt like they were on dates each time, a quick-paced courtship for hours on end. She certainly seemed to surprise and argue with him enough that he didn't think his subconscious could make all of this up. But that wasn't really possible, right? She would have to actually be with him in the dream for it to be real, and he had no idea how anyone could do that.

Unbeknownst to Hatter or Alice, that was the truth. The Cheshire grinned from the small forest glade where it rested in Alice Hamilton's body. In the Old Magics, this was called 'dream fasting', a bond formed through shared dreams and shared power. The stronger and deeper the connection between its Alice and Haiga's son, the better!! Soon, the Cheshire would have the boy off looking for its eye, and then the beast could go after its true prize. Wonderland would rejoice when all was said and done, and the Cheshire couldnt' be happier.

Honestly though, it was just a bonus that it made his little pet so happy to talk and love and listen to Haiga's son. It was no trouble at all to connect their dreams, since Alice had Cheshire to connect with Hatter's innate magic for her. The beast laughed quietly at the irony. The son of the man that had imprisoned all of Wonderland's Old Magic had a huge natural gift of magic on his own!! Unknown and untrained, of course, what with the Queen killing off any Son of Wonderland with the gift, especially Haiga, her Court Magician. No one was left that could train the boy in his gift; it was a real surprise that he'd manifested any power at all, and in his fist of all the silly things! It had been undeniably useful in protecting Alice though.

But soon, soon the Cheshire would awaken, and all of Wonderland would tremble. It would restore its legacy to its former glory, the magic and horrors renewed and returned into the world of old! It would be wonderful, a true Land of Wonders once more!!

The Cheshire could hardly wait.


	21. Chapter 21

Okay, this chapter is mostly setting the scene and moving along elements of the plot. Hope you all like it, and enjoy!!

Recommended Reading: 'Lets Not Do That Again' by Jet Set Yoyo. Alice and Hatter go on a date to the carnival, and various funny, cute, and very pure Halice fluff ensues.

Chapter 21

The blonde woman ran as fast as she could through the confusing streets and bridges, narrowly avoiding a slip over the sides of them, and calling herself seven kinds of stupid for wandering off like they'd said not to. She ducked into an alley, trying to catch her breath and listen for the ones that had been chasing heart pounded frantically as she tried to figure out a plan, where to run, where to find help.

After escaping the destroyed Casino, the King had asked that all the Oysters stay in the Great Hall, in the building where the Looking Glass was held. Without the Stone of Wonderland, none of them could go home, and they were still in danger. He'd promised that as soon as the Stone was found, they could all leave, no strings attached. And they were all eager to go. Wonderland was not a safe place to be an Oyster, not with thousands of its citizens addicted to Tea. Already, four Oysters had been attacked by Tea-Heads, addicts so far gone that they had torn those poor four people apart, looking for the 'pearls' that would make Tea.

The Suits had brought supplies and beds to the Great Hall and asked that all the Oysters stay inside for their protection. With no Tea being sold or produced, it was only a matter of time before all the surplus Tea ran out. The Oysters were its only source, and the Tea-Heads wouldn't stop until they got their fix.

Brenda had gotten bored being stuck inside, and without anything to really keep her occupied, had decided to look around outside. She'd figured that a little fresh ari would do her good, and she wouldn't go far. But she had underestimated how easy it was to get lost in the upside-down city, and had been found by one of the mad addicts. He'd chased her even further into the city, and the woman now had no idea where she was.

A rustling behind her made her whirl around, just as a hand clamped over her mouth and trapped her arms. The man in front of her looked gaunt and starved, the one behind her was white-faced and almost bloodless in his coloring. "An Oyster," the starving man hummed, a crazed look in his eye. "We found one, we found one!!"

"Now to get the shiny pearl," the pale man rasped. "Shiny pearl that makes Tea, lovely, lovely Tea"---

Her muffled screams rang out for less than a minute before a sick, ripping, gushing sound was heard. Then there was only the sound of bones breaking and crunching, of blood being greedily sucked up with loud slurps. Victim number five had been claimed by the Tea addicts.

After all, withdrawal was a bitch.

When the news reached Jack, he swore a stream of profanity that made the Minister of Clubs stare in shock. The new King had sent out the Card Armies to the city, and most of the Suits were able to keep the worst of the Tea-Heads under control. They would round up as many as they could find and send them off to the Hospital of Dreams to dry out, but the Hospital was already at its maximum capacity. They'd had to use the old Police prisons and the dungeons of the Palace to try and house the new addicts, but more just kept coming.

And several Tea-Heads were already becoming Mad Men. Wonderlanders were naturally Mad, but their twisted logic would suppress it into dormancy without a very strong emotion to trigger it. When the Teas came out, the Madness was now held back with the mind-numbing, logic-killing Tea. But with the odd logic never being used, Madness was dependant on Tea to be suppressed. Without their Tea of choice to keep their Madness at bay, and no logic to pull it back, dozens of people had gone on rampages throughout the city.

And now they had a bigger problem. Several nobles of each House of Cards were not happy about giving up their instant gratification, and even more angry about having to assume responsibility for their people. "God forbid they actually earn their keep," Jack had spat bitterly when he heard about their betrayal. The newly named False Nobles had banded together with the Tea-Heads among the Suits and were gathering up other addicts from the streets. They'd raided the storehouses of confiscated Tea to supply their 'troops', and especially themselves. They were also promising to use the Oysters to make more of the Tea they craved and overthrow Jack to keep the Oysters coming. They'd even elected a new candidate for monarch in a Heart named Rudolphus.

And Caterpillar had informed Jack that some of the Tea-Heads taken in from the False Nobles' attacks had been given Black Tea. The negative emotions of Hatred, Anger, Cruelty, Rage, Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, and Greed were being used to create Monsterous Mad Men. Mad Men by themselves were bad enough, but those drugged up on Black Tea became Monsters, often warping into hideous creatures that barely resembled the humans they once were. They would gain enormous strength and speed, and it could take dozens of Suits to handle just one of them.

All Jack could do now was pray that Carpenter and Caterpillar could somehow work a miracle. Somehow, they had to find a way to break the hold of Tea on his people, or the citizens would tear the Kingdom apart. There had to be a way!

This would be so much easier if they could just find something else to power the Looking Glass to send the Oysters home. Dodo, being the Keeper and Guardian of the Great Library, had been in charge of researching a way, but had turned up some strange results. Oh, there was no way to power the Glass without the Ring, there was no debate about that. What was strange was that there were _no other means_. The Stone had been completely unique, which shouldn't have been possible. Dodo had pointed out that there was no record of the mine that the jewels had come from, not even in the oldest records of the Archives. There was no original owner listed, no names known of who had created it. It had just appeared, as if by magic.

And without a way to find more of the jewels that made the Ring, they had no way to replicate it. In fact, they had no idea what the jewels were, what kind they were, or even how it could possibly power the Looking Glass. It had always been a great mystery, and now when they needed answers most, the Ring was unavailable for examination. They could not activate the Mirror without it. They had no choice but to retrieve it from the most dangerous place in Wonderland.

In the laboratory of the Hospital of Dreams, Robert Hamilton was crouched over a microscope, gazing at a drug that he prayed would have the right reaction. Caterpillar was on the other side of the table at the black board, going over dozens of calculations and formulas. Several Egg-men were scattered throughout the room, each diligently working to try and find a cure for the addiction they'd been feeding for years.

Robert glanced over to the stoic doctor as a messenger left the room after delivering several reports to the former Resistance leader. "Any news?"

Caterpillar didn't need to ask what the worried father meant. "None, I'm afraid."

"Dammit," Robert muttered. That meant there was no change in Alice's condition. The man couldn't help the guilt and worry he felt for his only child. So much time lost between them, and bitter words from the Hospital when they were reunited. And then his daughter, his baby girl, took the bullets meant for him. To think that after so much time, she still loved him so much--

A hand on his shoulder shook him out of his spiraling thoughts. Caterpillar squeezed lightly. "Your child survived against Mad March, Jabberwocks, and all the perilous people of this world. She has survived surgery and is healing as we speak. She is much stronger than anyone gave her credit for. Your Alice will survive this, I'm sure."

Robert nodded, taking the man's words wiht a grain of salt. While he knew the doctor was trying to give him some hope, he also knew that he wanted Robert focused on his task and not distracted by worry. The former Carpenter shook his head. He needed to finish the work on the cure. It may very well be the only way he could atone to this strange world for all the damage he'd helped cause. And it may very well be all that saved his Alice. Though the Egg-men were working in the lab of their own free will, it wasn't just to find a cure. Suits were posted at the doors and hallways of their rooms and labs, and all around the hospital. The many scientists were in danger from those outside; the Tea-Heads and False Nobles that were trying to recruit them to their 'cause'.

And the Egg-men, for all the Suits' silence on the subject, still caught word of the Oysters being killed throughout the city. The Mad Men had already been sent to attack the Hospital twice in the last three days, with several people escaping their rooms and joining the False Nobles' ranks. Robert knew that the Mad Men and the Monster Men would be sent to attack the White Rabbit Agency next to try and steal the Looking Glass. Thankfully, without the Stone of Wonderland they couldn't kidnap more Oysters. But they also couldn't send the ones they currently had to safety. And Alice, his little girl, was in the City Hospital. With only Sir Charles and Hatter to protect her. He prayed the Tea-Heads wouldn't find out about her location.

For not only was she an Oyster herself, she was the reason for the fall of the Red Queen. She was the reason there was a new King on the throne. A king that had outlawed Tea. She was the reason the Oysters were being sent home, in the eyes of the Tea addicts. Robert Hamilton had no doubts that if they ever got a hold of her, they'd kill her.


	22. Chapter 22

Hi guys!! Here's hoping you all like this chapter better than the last one. Much more plot this time, and two Hatters in one room! You heard me, TWO HATTERS IN ONE ROOM!! Bow before the awesomeness of that!! LOL.

Recommended Reading: 'Just Won't Shut Up' by Crysania Fey, a funny one-shot. And I totally agree with this author, that is how it should have ended.

Chapter 22

Hatter woke with a start, shivering and bewildered as water poured over him. He looked up and was shocked to see himself on the floor in the shower of the bathroom in Alice's hospital room. He blinked hard, shaking water out of his eyes as he slowly rose to his feet. A quick glance confirmed that he was naked, and a lot of searching revealed his clothes in a heap beside the sink, his hat hanging off the water spout.

And a lot of memory searching later brought up a total blank of how he got there. Unless one counted what he'd been doing in the last dream, that is. But he had to have been awake to get in the shower, right? He'd never sleep-walked before, and he'd had enough bed partners to know if he did. But that dream, oh god above, that dream with his lovely Alice; they'd stumbled into her apartment after a long night of dancing and wine and he'd taken her suggestion of getting cleaned up literally. He'd carried her to the shower, both of them learning and teasing the other's body under streams of hot water as hands stroked and lips kissed--

Hatter shook his head hard. At least he'd woke up at the _end _of that dream, or he'd have been ragingly disappointed. He finished washing up and got dressed in some clean clothes, his thoughts still in a whirl. The man had a lot on his mind. First; Alice was still unconscious. It had been seven days since she'd been shot, and she was still in a coma. Her vital signs were holding steady, and her injuries showed a shocking amount of improvement, according to the doctors, so that at least was good news.

Second; he was still hearing that singing in Alice's voice that came from nowhere every time he started to fall asleep. It was beyond the point of freaking him out, and he was starting to question whether or not he was safe to stay near Alice. Caterpillar had said that the Madness may return under strong negative emotion, and the Worry he was feeling for her would definitely qualify under that.

Third; he was pretty sure that the dreams he'd been having weren't normal dreams. He'd wake from them exhausted, as if he'd really done everything they'd done in the dreams, from dancing to walks in the park to something Alice had called paintball which had been shockingly fun despite being shot at. He'd woke up from that dream with bruises, and no idea how they'd happened. If one can't feel pain in dreams, then how can one be injured in a dream and not wake up, but still wake up with the injuries? It made no sense, even for Wonderland. How can one sleep for hours and still be so exhausted that they woke looking worse than when they went to sleep?

Hatter was starting to really worry the nurses, too. He was becoming ghostly pale and thin. But he was never hungry, always saying that he had no appetite no matter how much or how often food was brought to him. And it was true; he didn't feel the need to eat, as so many of the dreams had been dates that had food served. Food he could clearly remember the taste and texture of. (He'd had pizza with Alice at her favorite place at her insistence. And Hatter had _loved _the stuff.) He wasn't even hungry unless he was asleep. He had to force himself to eat when he was awake. Hatter _knew _that wasn't normal. He had no idea how this--whatever _this _was--was happening, but something was.

And now this. Waking, in an actual shower, from a dream of passionate sex with Alice in a shower. If he was starting to act out his dreams, this was getting very serious. But he did need to know one thing. Hatter tamped down the school-boy urge to blush as he walked over to her bed and lifted a bit of her hospital gown up her leg. In the dream, he'd seen a little something there, a tattoo of a small bottle tied with a blue ribbon around the neck and with a tag tied to it that said 'Drink Me'. If it was really there, then maybe he---

"Oh my god," Hatter said in a strangled voice, his fingers barely ghosting over the inked skin on her hip. He stared at the little tattoo that was just as he remembered it. In the dream, she'd told him it was the result of a lost bet when she was sixteen. Something about it being a requirement of being a girl named Alice. And it was there, really there, on her hip. He couldnt' have known that; he'd never seen her without her clothing! Alice had never told him about it! Not in the waking world. They'd never had time to talk about things like that when they'd been awake.

"Oh god, what's happening to us?" he asked in frightened confusion, sitting down in the chair and hiding the little tattoo away under the gown again.

"Now you ask? After three days of dreaming, now you ask? Great mumbling Mome-wraths, are you oblivious or just obtuse?" a shockingly familiar voice asked.

Hatter looked around, but saw no one, and then happened to glance up and nearly screamed. "Alice?!" His gaze darted down to the bed, where Alice lay in a coma, and then looked back up to where Alice was standing on the ceiling. The upside-down girl was dressed just as Alice was when he first saw her, her brown hair just as long, but something was definately off. The dress wasn't hanging down like gravity would demand it to, and her hair wasn't hanging down either. And her--no, _its_--eyes. They were green and slitted.

Just like a cat's.

"What--what the hell are you?!" he cried.

It smiled, just like Alice, but with gleaming sharp teeth, and Hatter was nearly sick at the sight of it. "Very good!" it crooned. "You caught on as quickly as she did."

"What do you want?" Hatter asked, his gaze hardening as he looked it over. He edged closer toward the sleeping Alice, the better to protect her from whatever the hell this was.

It saw his actions for what they were and tisked at him. "Want? Oh no, no, no. I already have what I want from _her_. Truly, I'm in her debt for all that she's done for me. It would be rude to act so ungrateful as to harm my generous benefactor," the thing said, casually walking across the ceiling and down the wall to stand properly on the floor. It walked over toward him in a slow, slinking swagger, eyeing him up and down. "But you, now you are an entirely different box of catnip."

"Then what do you want with me?" Hatter asked, backing away from the thing with every step it took. This whole thing felt wrong. Hatter had learned from a very early age to never ignore his instincts, and over the years he had honed them to a sometimes precognitive level. And now every instinct he had was screaming that something terrible, _terrible _and _**powerful**_, was in front of him.

It suddenly startled. "Oh, but how remiss of me! The other guests have not arrived yet," the thing pouted with her lips, completely ignoring his question. "We mustn't leave anyone out, it wouldn't do to have to repeat myself. I'll be right back." The thing in Alice's form dissolved into smoke and was gone.

Less than a second after it was gone, the door slammed open. "Harbinger!!" Charlie shouted, brandishing his sword in a surprisingly strong stance. "Are you well?! Is the Lady Alice safe?! Did the beast attack you?!"

"Charlie, what have we told you about that sword?!!" Hatter snapped before the knight's words registered. "Wait, what--what beast? You know what that thing was?!"

The knight's eyes were unfocused, his entire body as tense as a bowstring. "I sense the presence of the Old One," the White Knight said in that deep voice of his Dark Arts. "The First of the Sons of Wonderland, the Staring Eye. It has returned, at long last. The Beast of Every Face."

"What the hell is it? What does it want?" Hatter asked.

"Chaos," he answered. "Utter, complete chaos---Harbinger?" In a single blink, the trance was broken, and the regular Charlie was back. "What has happened here? Are you well? What has you all a mimsy?"

The young man stared. _Of all times for him to go sane_!! "What the hell is the Beast of Every Face?" he asked in bewilderment. "The Old One? What is going on?!"

Charlie frowned. "The Old One? You're not making sport about my hair, are you? Boy, I tell you, it was from stress, that's all it is"--

"No, dammit! Charlie, what"--Hatter took a deep breath and sent a mental plea for patience. "You said something about the Old One just a second ago. What the hell is the Old One?"

"That old story?" Charlie blinked in confusion. "Oh dear. That's a very old tale, Harbinger. But I am a bit surprised you don't know about it. It was in that book, after all. Oh, perhaps you know it by its other name, recent little nickname for the thing, a bit misleading I always thought"--

Hatter's plea for patience went unanswered, and he shouted out, "What is it?!"

"Certainly an impatient child, is he not?" a soft, cultured voice asked. Both men whirled toward the door, and were shocked at the sight of a beautiful woman in flowing robes of white silk. Her hair was a soft fountain of black curls that held a crown of shining platinum and diamond, and her face was breathtakingly beautiful. Charlie staggered forward and sank to his knees in front of her, touching his head to the ground. "Oh, my lady," he said shakily, unable to tear his eyes from her in true supplication like protocol demanded. "My Queen. Surely the gods bless us with this vision of your radiance."

She smiled, and Hatter caught a glimpse of sharp white teeth. "Dear Charles, rise. You will be needed very shortly, and your comrades will arrive soon. Please be at ease"--

"Stop. It." Hatter bit out, interrupting the creature. "You're not a Queen. You're not some lady. You're that thing Charlie was talking about"--he was interrupted by a steel blade tickling his chin. Charlie stared at him with hard eyes, the sword steady in his hand. "Apologize," the Knight snapped. "Apologize to my lady Queen, Harbinger, or I shall forget that we are friends."

"That's not your Queen," Hatter said, never taking his eyes from the green, slitted ones of the woman before them. "Look at her face, Charlie. Look at her eyes. Tell me, are those the eyes of your Queen?"

Charlie did look, and the sword fell away from Hatter to point at the thing before them. "How--How can this be? What sorcery is this?! You," Sir Charles growled, "you are no sovereign of mine. What are you?"

"No need to be rude, boys," it said in a totally casual tone, smirking as it glanced behind it. It stepped away from the door and snapped its fingers. The door shook then swung open with a bang and suddenly Prince Jack and Duchess Diamond fell into the room. Jack looked around in confusion as he helped a bewildered Duchess stand, and the thing spoke up, "Make way, make way, its rude to stand in doorways, you know." Jack went to say some thing, but a hostile nudge from the door made him startle and move to the side. The door slammed itself shut, then opened again, this time spitting out Caterpillar and Robert.

"Lovely!" the woman/thing said, clapping its hands in glee as the older men stood. "Now you're all here. We can finally get things moving."

"What is going on here?" Jack demanded. "Who are you?"

"What do you want with us?" Robert snapped.

"I'm more worried with how we got here," Duchess said in confusion. "I opened my closet door and the next thing I know, Jack's falling on me here. And where is here, exactly?"

"Why, we're in Alice's room," the thing said. Suddenly it seemed to shift, and a blond-haired woman stood before them. She was dressed in a soft purple off the shoulder dress, with sandals that laced up to her knee and a blue butterfly clip in her hair. She smiled and Robert nearly had a heart attack. It couldn't be. He hadn't seen her in over a decade, and she hadn't aged a day. "C-Carol?" he said in shock.

"Hello, Rob," she said with laughter. "Long time no see. When were you supposed to be off work again? Nine or eight o'clock that night, right?"

Even though there was no accusation in her eyes, (oddly green and slitted eyes), he flinched. "Yes, but I--I was"--

"Don't worry, honey," she said softly, still smiling so sweetly that white, biting teeth gleamed. "There's never been another man. Not in thirteen years, there's never been another to touch me."

"Oh Carol," Robert said in an aching voice as he took a disbelieving step forward. "I've missed you"--

"Don't be fooled," Hatter said firmly as Charlie went over to touch the man's shoulder and get his attention. "That's not your wife. I don't know what that thing is, but its not"--

It shifted once more, and another Jack Heart stood before them, but directly behind Duchess. She nearly leaped away in fright, but he wrapped his arms around her in a loose embrace. He leaned in close to her ear. "Sweet girl, you're a liar. A liar of the first degree. You must be. That, or you're truly a coward. After all, a beautiful woman like you can't even tell the man you love that you love him. Oh actions speak, quite clearly too, but you see, some people really do need to hear the words. So either your actions lie, at the very least they're not convincing, or you're too afraid to say the words. Which is it?"

Duchess shook in fright, but her voice was clear and strong. "Get away from me, you're not Jack"--

It shifted again, and to the shock and surprise of everyone, Winston Edward Heart stood before Caterpillar. "Hello, my dear friend," he said cheerfully to the doctor. "Sorry to die off like that, but I didn't think you'd want to face me again. So how's things here now? Much improved, I hope. I always said you'd make a better King than me, but I know my son will listen to you. Should see some great improvements then, right?"

Caterpillar remained stoic in his expression, but fine tremors rocked his body. His hand shook as he raised it to adjust his glasses on his nose. "You," he swallowed hard, "you are not my king. You are not Winston."

The late King pouted and in a blink was gone, and it shifted to another Duchess. "Hello Jack," she purred, sauntering up to his side. The real Duchess nearly hissed at it, but the thing smirked back. "You're no match for me, little girl. Besides, he's more afraid of you than he could ever be of little old me."

"Stop it!" Hatter roared, clenching his fists and readying his right arm for a blow. "Stop it now!!"

The thing shifted and moved, now another Hatter lazily sitting on the widow sill. He was dressed in black jeans and a sleeve-less black shirt, with a purple tie loosely hanging around his neck, black fingerless gloves, and a purple top hat. "Oh, spoil all my fun," he pouted. But then he smiled, and the sight of it frightened everyone in the room to silence. Green, slitted eyes gleamed in amusement. "I'll bet you silly humans still don't even know my name."

"The Old One," Charlie said in wonder. "The Beast of Every Face. The"--

"Oh please, spare me the ridiculous misnomers," the other Hatter sniffed disdainfully. "Those are titles, little monikers and nothing more. That's not my name."

Caterpillar's voice rang out clear and sure. "You are the heart and soul of Wonderland."

"But that's not my na-ame," it sang out like a little child.

"You have no name," Caterpillar said firmly. "You have never had a name. But the Alice of Legend called you the Cheshire Cat."

Everyone in the room froze at those words. Nearly all of them had heard the stories about the legendary beast. None of the tales could agree if the thing was good or evil, a monster or a savior. But on two things they all agreed. It was the most powerful creature in all of Wonderland.

And it was completely Mad.


	23. Chapter 23

Thank you, everyone, for all your kind words and reviews. They really do keep me going on this story.

Recommended Reading: 'Drink Me' by Token, a steamy little story in the rated M section, the fourth ever posted there. After the victory, Jack takes Alice back to the Palace, and she drinks something she shouldn't. Hatter has to help Alice recover, in a way only he can....;-)

Question: Does anyone else think that Hatter acts a bit like Captain Jack Sparrow? Same eyeliner too, lol!! .....whoa. Makes me wonder if the Captain had any relatives in Wonderland. God, wouldn't that explain everything....

Chapter 23

The Cheshire laughed and spoke in Hatter's voice. "Oh, you funny, funny worm! Still not right, but close! Ah well. Only one person has ever given me a proper name, and she's not in a state to tell it to anyone right now." It glanced over where Alice lay.

"I've heard legends," Caterpillar said quietly as he walked towards the bed, "all my life, about you. Some say you're a myth, or a ghost, a man, and even a demon. You never show your true form to anyone, but perhaps for the first Alice."

The false Hatter rolled his slitted eyes. "Everyone has seen me, every single day, even when I wasn't there. What's so confusing about this?"

"What?" Robert said, frowning in confusion.

"The Cheshire is Wonderland; Wonderland is the Cheshire," Caterpillar explained. "One can't exist without the other. Think of this being as the purest form of Wonderland."

"Oh, I assure you, I've never been pure," the Cheshire said gleefully with Hatter's trademark smirk.

"Why do you take our forms?" Duchess asked, still trying to recover from the beast's words. "Why me? Why Jack?"

Charlie answered that one, his voice soft and sad. "The Beast of Every Face takes the form of those we truly love. Those the most dear to our hearts, no matter how long gone from the world they are."

Hatter glanced at him. "Then that woman we saw, that was"--

"The White Queen," Charlie said quietly. "My lady, my first sworn sovereign." He gave a soft, surprisingly bitter chuckle. "My first and only love."

Robert frowned and sent a questioning look to Caterpillar. "King Jack and Lady Duchess seeing each other, I understand. I saw my Carol, and Charlie his Queen. And you"--he cleared his throat--"well, to each their own. But I don't understand this," he gestured at the false Hatter. "Why take his form?"

"Do you prefer this?" asked the beast, blinking into Alice's form, and just as quickly back to Hatter's. "No, no. Haigha's son seemed quite distraught over seeing her like this, so I refrained. Besides, this _is _the most beloved of a person in this room. Three guesses who! And the first two don't count," it laughed.

"Beloved?" Hatter said, almost unwillingly. _It can't be_--"Alice...Alice loves me?"

It glanced at him and this time it was a genuine smile, nothing catty about it. "You make my lady happy. For that, and all the protection you gave her, I thank you."

"What is Alice to you?" Caterpillar asked, his voice and face completely calm. Inwardly, he was shocked. No power in Wonderland was strong enough to bind or impress the Cheshire! So what could make it regard the Oyster Alice so highly?

"And why have you brought us here?" Duchess asked.

The Cheshire grinned. "Different questions, same sort of answer. She brought me here," it nodded to Alice, "brought me back home when I was lost." It blinked and disappeared, reappearing on the foot of Alice's bed in a sprawled out pose like a cat stretching. "She gave me flesh and blood and Time. Sweet thing, she is. And now, she'll help me one more time."

"What do you want from her?" Robert asked, heat in his voice. "Are you the reason she hasn't woke up?"

"Of course," it said casually. "After all, taking Time means someone has to give it and this is the most painless way possible, really. And what I want from her, I've already received. I'm grateful, truly. So I gave her a marvelous gift in return. You," it looked at Hatter, "had just asked about those funny dreams of yours. You see her, correct? You've laughed and danced and talked and ate and loved for weeks on end, all in your dreams. Dreams that she shares, in her frozen Time. Real dreams."

"What do you mean, 'real dreams'?" Hatter said in confusion and worry. "You mean they're--they're actually real? They really happened? All of them?"

"Dream fasting?" Charlie asked in delighted wonder.

"Incredible," Caterpillar said in awe.

"Can someone translate this for the non-Wonderland native?" Robert asked, irritation and concern for his only child growing with every word spoken.

"It is a powerful magic, a deep connection forged in dreams and wishes," Charlie said excitedly. "Oh, how lucky you are, Harbinger! Such a bond is a rare and wonderous!"

"And it made them 'bond' in their dreams?" Robert asked in confusion.

"Indeed," it laughed. "My gift to the lady. Every word Hatter has said, every move he's made, even when he was awake, she has seen and knows it all."

"E-Everything?" Hatter asked faintly, color draining from his face. _Oh god, she heard me when I told her about--?!_

"Everything," it grinned. "All those dirty little secrets, she's known all along. Loves you anyway. Fancy that."

From pure emotional shock, Hatter had to sit down, his hat sliding over his eyes.

"That doesn't explain why we're here," Jack said.

"Oh that," it shrugged. "I thought you might like some help. After all, its been days since you last saw your precious Stone of Wonderland. In Tulgey Wood, right? I can help you get there. No one knows the paths of the world like me."

"Why would you help us?" Caterpillar asked. "We've found the maps into the Wood. We know the way."

"True. Now how many of your men have died less than a hundred feet from the edge of the Wood?" it asked. From the reaction on Jack and Caterpillar's faces, it was a high number. "I can soothe the beasts of that forest and grant your little search party protection. I can get you in. All I ask in return is a few stipulations."

Jack cocked an eyebrow in question. "Like what?"

It fixed Jack with a hard look. "I want my eye back. No more trying to keep it from me, no more tricks or magic to hide it. No more hassle, savvy?"

The King blinked in confusion. "Your...your eye?"

"Oh, that's right," the creature snorted, rolling its eyes. "You royals think its yours just because it was made into a ring."

"The Stone?" Caterpillar asked in surprise as he made the connection. "The Stone of Wonderland is your eye?"

"Of course," the Cheshire said. "Now, I need Jack to agree to this, and I want Duchess-dear to hear him swear the oath."

"But we must get the Oysters back to their world"--

"Yes, yes, fine, take your little clams back through. But I want my eye," it growled. "No more using it for that worthless bit of polished silver!! Its mine and I will keep it."

_He means the Looking Glass_! "Surely we can come to some agreement about the Looking Glass," Jack said, trying to negotiate. "We'll need the other world's help to recover"--

The Cheshire hissed, Hatter's borrowed features warping into a cat-like grimace. The walls began to boil, the paint flaking and flying about the room like toy airplanes, the flowers on the bedside table literally crawling out of the vase and running for cover under Duchess's dress. The sheer power of the beast pushed them back against the walls, Duchess holding on to Jack and Charlie to stop from collapsing. It growled like a true monster, "You dare try to order me?! _**Me**_?! Little human boy, you rule your pathetic Cards and nothing more!! You'll get me back my eye or I'll personally kill every last one of your beloved Suits and Oysters in Wonder--what?" it suddenly looked over to the sleeping Alice. The room stopped bubbling as it blinked at her, and then a rather indignant look crossed its face as its features went back to Hatter's normal face. "I'll kill whoever I want...I told you!! I will have my eye returned to me! Wha--well, how would you like to have other people parading around with your eye on their hand as a bloody accessory?!"

It huffed and snarled as it stared at Alice, obviously having some form of conversation with her. The room slowly returned to normal as its ire cooled. "Fine. I said fine!! I won't kill them. Yet. Happy? Fine. Blasted woman, as stubborn as your mother--I'll make cracks about your mother if I want to!"

"There is no way she can control that thing," Jack said in a slightly quivering voice before he cleared his throat, shaking his head in disbelief as he helped Duchess stand properly. "I cannot comprehend why its even listening to her."

"It needs her," Hatter said with quiet conviction, and the Cheshire turned its unblinking gaze on him. So did everyone else. "You need her," he said, stronger this time. "I don't know why, but you need her. She brought you back, and gave you what you needed, but you're not done yet, are you?"

"Oh?" It cocked an eyebrow at him. "You sure about that?"

"Or you'd go and get your eye yourself," Hatter said firmly. "Why even bother with us if you could get it on your own? You still need her, and you need us for something. So what is it?"

The false Hatter suddenly laughed. "She said you were clever!! And brilliant of the man to give the last peice to you, really."

"Peice? Peice of what?"

It looked straight at Hatter, "It doesn't matter, not yet. As soon as I get my eye, she'll wake up, and everything will be raining rightly. Oh and Jack, I want all the things of the Court Magician brought here to Hatter. He has some reading to do."

"The--what?! And why me?!" Hatter said in confusion.

"The Magician's things? But they were destroyed when my mother had him killed," the King protested.

"Not true, not true!!" the beast sang, ignoring Hatter's words. "Right, Wormy?"

Caterpillar straightened a bit at that. "It is true. One of our agents managed to recover the writing of the Court Magician before they were burned, but little else remains of his affects. The journals and papers can be brought here within the hour. Will that satisfy you?"

"Good enough, good enough," it murmured.

"Why do you want Hatter to see them?" Duchess asked with a frown.

"Because its about the Old Magic, of course," the Cheshire said with a grin.

"But why do you want _me _to read them?" Hatter asked, bewildered. "How the hell am I supposed to understand what some quack wrote about magic?"

The Cheshire stared at Hatter for a moment, and then laughed, long and loud. "Oh, bless that bastard bird of a Dodo! He really didn't tell you? Oh, this is too much! Be sure you ask him that exact same question when he brings you Haigha's things, you'll love hearing his answer." It yawned, and suddenly looked sleepy. "I'm tired."

Hatter frowned, "Wait, tell me what Dodo has to do with"--it made a negligent move with one hand and Hatter's jaw shut itself, despite his best efforts to open it. The Cheshire blinked and shifted forms, this time to a little brown cat. It curled up next to Alice's side, yawned once more, and went to sleep.

You could have knocked Robert over with a feather. "Dinah?!" he said in shock. "But why would it look like--It was---It was Dinah?! All along?!"

"Do you mind?" it hissed as it opened one eye in annoyance, talking perfectly well even as a cat. "I'm trying to sleep." With that, all of the people but for Alice found themselves outside the door of the room in a heap and tangled up in each other, trying to stand up in the hospital hallway.


	24. Chapter 24

Hi guys!! Just got my copy of 'Alice' on DVD, yay!!! Now don't get me wrong, I'm happy that it had extended scenes, (that bit between the Minister of Clubs and Mad March is hilarious) but come on!! No extra features?! None! Nothing!! On Syfy's website, they had interviews with the directors, and interviews with the entire cast! Even the Mad March in New York City! So much stuff they could have used, and none of its available on the disc. (Sigh)

Chapter 24

Jack rubbed his temples as he leaned forward, blancing his weight on his elbows as he sat at the large oak desk in his private chambers. He'd been unable to sleep, wearily going over everything they'd discovered today. The Cheshire Cat was back in Wonderland, brought by Alice, of all people. The beast wanted the Stone of Wonderland as badly as they did, but for a different reason (because it was actually the creature's own eye). It had offered to help them navigate the deadly Tulgey Wood in order to retrieve it. It seemed fairly straight-forward at first.

But the beast had left more questions than anything else. What did the Cheshire want from Alice? From Hatter? Hatter had raised a valid point in that a creature of such power should have no trouble doing whatever it wanted, so why did it offer to help them do what it should be perfectly capable of doing on its own? It had mentioned something about Alice and some man giving a piece of something to Hatter, but Hatter had no idea what it was talking about.

And why did it want Hatter to read the works of the Court Magician? Of all people, why Hatter? The two men were from vastly different backgrounds. Haigha had been born from a rich family of very old money, and had been trained in refinement and Court intrigue since he was a child, and had the highest education available. And Hatter, well, Hatter was, to put it politely, of a much more common pedigree. As far as Jack knew, there was no connection between the two.

Caterpillar had already started his investigation into it, and had promised to have some results for him within a few hours. The records shouldn't be too hard to track down, as the Resistance already had the Magician's personal files and papers. But what did Caterpillar hope to find was Jack's real question.

Jack tried to think back to what he really knew about the Court Magician. He could just barely remember the man from when he was a very young child, as the poor man had been executed not long after he'd turned six. Haigha had been about six feet tall, slim, and had black eyes and hair that he kept braided down his back. Jack had liked the Magician, that much he did remember. Haigha had been affectionate and protective of all children, and always had a bit of candy-fluff for the little prince whenever he saw him. He did wonderful tricks with playing cards, and illusions that no one could match in beauty and clarity. He also knew how to do all kinds of tricks and plays with that odd hat of his--

The King's eyes suddenly flew open at that thought. _Hat. That strange hat that Haigha was never without, dear god, I thought Hatter reminded me of someone!! And the Cheshire had actually said it, called Hatter 'Haigha's son!!' Why didn't I see it before? He's the son of the late Court Magician. But what does the Cheshire want with him? Could it be that Hatter is capable of magic?! Well, that certainly explains that sledgehammer fist of his. His power manifested in a physical form. And that happened without training, at least, I don't believe he's been properly trained. Imagine the power he'd wield if he could actually use his gift_.

Hatter had proved himself to be a man of great honor but the King couldn't help but wonder what a former double agent/business man/smuggler/con-man could do with access to one of the greatest powers of Wonderland. The idea of that made Jack swallow nervously, but he found himself not _truly _worried about it. Alice would easily keep Hatter in line; when thoughts of revenge clouded his thinking, Alice's love would be there to show him a better way. Jack had faith in that. (And if that failed, she could kick his ass into submission, Jack had faith in that too.) Hatter would make Alice his wife and lady, there was no doubt in his mind. If they could get her out of the Cheshire's clutches, that is.

A soft touch to his shoulder nearly made him jump out of his chair. "Easy, Jack," a quiet voice said. Duchess stood by his side in her robe and nightgown, with a hot cup of tea and a small plate with some roast chicken and potatoes. "I thought you could use something to eat if you were going to be up so late," she said, setting the items on the desk.

He found a smile for her as he reached for the cup of tea. "Thank you, Duchess."

She frowned as she looked over the table piled high with files and documents, wondering about the work as Jack ate. "What has you up so late? You do need to sleep, Jacks."

He found a smile at the old nick-name and sighed, putting down the cup. "I just found out a few things about Hatter that are a bit...disturbing."

"Oh?"

He told her what he'd found out that night, as he was interested in hearing the intelligent woman's opinion. She mulled it over, thinking carefully before she spoke. "If Hatter is gifted with Magic, he must be told as soon as possible so that he might train and focus his power. Such a wonderful gift could be incredibly useful to helping the people of Wonderland. Once everything is settled with the Oysters and the False Nobles, we can begin to worry more about possible internal political repercussions from having a Court Magician again. Since he seems to have no idea about his heritage, we can assume he'll have had no training, so we'll have to find someone to assist him in his duties. Perhaps Caterpillar, or maybe Dodo? With their knowledge of the Histories and the books about Old Magic, they may be able to help."

"An excellent idea," Jack said in approval. "I do hope they can help. All the magicians and even their apprentices were killed after the War of the Knights. So far, Hatter's magic has manifested in that legendary right hook of his. With Haigha's writings, perhaps he could unlock more of that power. What could that mean for the Kingdom?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you worried that he might want, (ahem), some revenge for wrongs done to him?"

Jack flushed a bit. "Perhaps. I did not treat him as I should have, and Alice scolded me well for it."

It was a credit to her that she didn't react to the sound of her former rival's name. "And perhaps he might wish to do great things for the people with his magic," she pointed out. "After all, he did much good for the Resistance. Why should he change that now? Don't go borrowing trouble before it comes, Jack."

"You're right," he said with a nod. She smiled at him, and he smiled tentatively back. It felt good to share his worries with her, to lighten the load of his work. He suddenly found himself wondering about the Cheshire's words and if they were true.

_"Sweet girl, you're a liar. A liar of the first degree. You must be. That, or you're truly a coward. After all, a beautiful woman like you can't even tell the man you love that you love him. Oh actions speak, quite clearly too, but you see, some people really do need to hear the words. So either your actions lie, at the very least they're not convincing, or you're too afraid to say the words. Which is it?"_

Now the Cheshire was known for many things, but it was not known for dishonesty. He remembered its words about his own nature, and resolved to change that. He would be a coward no longer. "Duchess?"

"Yes, Jack?"

He almost lost his nerve at the look in her eyes. "Do you...I--dammit, why is this so hard, I"--

She pressed two fingers to his lips and he fell silent. "Have you been thinking about what the Cheshire said?"

"Yes, I have," he said softly.

It was clear that she'd been thinking about it, too. "Are you really afraid of me, Jack?"

"Are you really a liar, Duchess?" He shook his head, cursing his runaway mouth. "My apologies. I had no reason to say such a thing." He couldn't meet her soft brown eyes as he spoke. "I am not afraid of you. But of the power you can wield over me, so very easily."

Her eyes went wide in surprise. "Power over you? I don't understand."

"You could rule me," he said quietly. "If I let myself love you, you would rule over me so much that I would be as my father was with my mother. I want to make you happy, and I fear that you would ask something I should never give, and I would give it, because I do love you, Duchess, I do. Far too much."

Duchess shoved down the joy and elation she felt at his admission of love, forcing herself to focus on the problem at hand. "So you love me, but you do not trust me?"

He sank deeper into the chair. "Yes."

"Ah. But there cannot be love without trust." She nodded to herself. "Its because of how I act with others, isn't it?"

He startled and finally met her eyes. "How did you"--

"You idiot, did you ever stop to think why I acted that way?" she asked snappishly. "If I dared to show favor or even decency to anyone, it would just give your mother ammunition to use against me. My nanny, my last three tutors, and four of my personal chambermaids were tortured or drugged with Tea to make me do her bidding. I couldn't risk them anymore, don't you understand?! If I showed affection for anyone, they would get hurt! The only one I dared show love for was you. And even that had a price to pay."

"You said that before. What price?" he asked, inwardly shocked at the revelations she was revealing. This explained so much, if it was true. He'd have to inquire among the servants and Suits, but he had a strong feeling that she spoke the truth.

She looked away, unconsciously squaring her shoulders as if bracing herself. "The only way I could stay with you was to lie to you. To tattle on everything you did. And she always, always knew if I lied, I don't know how. So I thought that if"--she took a breath to calm herself--"if you hated me, didn't trust me, you would be safer. You'd have a reason to avoid me, and then I couldn't betray you, see?"

And he did. To keep him safe, she drove him away so that she had nothing to report to his mother. It was a brilliant plan. Jack stood from the chair and took her hands in his. "I understand, I do. I'm sorry I didn't ask. I always thought I knew you, that I had you pegged completely. And then this mess with my mother happened, and it was like you became a stranger. I tried to find out what went wrong, I asked everyone if they knew anything. Did you know, I used to ask the stable master about you, because you rode out alone so much? You still ride that dapple grey horse I got you for your 15th birthday."

She laughed, "Of course! Wrinklehoof is my favorite and always will be. And you, Jack, I tried to keep familiar with you without talking to you, and it was so hard. But I still remember that you love that Oyster author, Charles Dickens, right? And you still collect those little model Jabberwockys and Knights for your chess set. Oh, and you love boating on the lake at night time when the moon and stars are out, so you can do your best thinking."

"How did you--oh my god," he shook his head in incredulous wonder. _All this time, you knew me better than anyone, even better than Alice. I've been blind to you, by my own will. Alice was right about us all along. Darling, I will make it up to you, I swear it_. He stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles. "Oh, Duchess, my love. I'm so sorry."

There was a moment of long silence, and Duchess couldn't keep the shocked look off her face. He'd said it, even after everything that had happened, all the lies and deceits. She was sure their trust would be broken, that they'd have to start all over again, if at all. But by some miracle, he still spoke of love. "Say it again," she whispered.

Jack couldn't help his miserable look. _She has every right to be angry at me. This apology is very long overdue_. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "No, you idiot. The part where you called me 'my love.' Say it again."

His sad look melted like snow in the warm sun, and Jack smiled with all the hope in his heart. "Duchess, my love. My one and only lady love."

Tears pricked her eyes and fell down her cheeks. "You have no idea how long I've dreamed of hearing you say that."

He gently brushed the tears from her face, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Forgive me for not trusting you?"

"Yes," she said softly. Duchess Diamond found her courage and finally spoke her own words, "And Jack, I love you. I truly"--

She was silenced by his kiss.

Later that night, a very exhausted Jack lay beside his beautiful fiance in their---(finally, finally _**their**_) bed. She was sleeping with a look of utter peace and contentment on her face that Jack decided that he would make sure stayed there for the rest of their days. He stared up at the ceiling, thoughts finally reaching a stillness in his mind as he let go of all the chaos he'd have to slog through in the morning.

Just before he drifted off to sleep, a courier knocked at the door. He groaned quietly and went to answer before the noise woke Duchess. A quick delivery and perusal of the files from Caterpillar made Jack gasp out loud and have to sit down in shock. _If finding out about his father was a hand grenade, then this little secret is the equivilant of--what did Alice call it? Ah, yes, an atomic bomb._

_God help that Dodo, for I really don't see Hatter having much mercy on him when he finds this out_.


	25. Chapter 25

Okay, I'm the first to admit, this is shorter than I wanted. But the whole thing would have been ridiculously long. Bear with me folks, the next chapter will be out soon!

Chapter 25

Dodo stalked down the hallway of the city hospital, pulling a large dolly filled with books and papers in one hand and a few thick, singed books in the other. His black leather trench coat billowed behind him as he walked. Nurses and Suits stared as he passed, his black glare making most of them to think twice about speaking to him. The Librarian was not in a good mood. He'd brought all the materials that Caterpillar had ordered to their meeting with Prince--no, King Jack, and had received a huge shock in that he had to give them all to Hatter. Hatter! The worthless reprobate, the betrayer, the low-life scum peddler of that foul Tea, was to be given the precious, priceless artifacts of the Court Magician.

Of course, he'd brought such points to the attention of his leader and sovereign king. But they had brought up other points of their own. Hatter had been raised by Griffon, a good friend of Dodo's. Griffon was the brother and only surviving member of the family that had taken in the adopted child, Malkie Turrel. And Malkie Turrel had been the fiance of the Court Magician, and had born that man a son.

And both Caterpillar and King Jack knew that Dodo had known, all along, who Hatter's real father was, what his mother was, and what his _true _heiritage was. Dodo had swallowed nervously. Now with the situation with the Spade Kingdom, they couldn't afford to keep Hatter ignorant of his history any longer. Dodo had been ordered to take all of Haigha's effects to Hatter and inform him of everything. And also to research any sort of aids that Hatter might need to access his innate magical skill.

Dodo was a very unhappy bird.

_Just what we need. A bloody Tea-seller with the power of the Old Magic at his fingertips_, he thought sarcastically. _And he's Mad to boot. Yes, this will surely turn out just fine_. He stomped into the room and stopped dead still at what he saw there. The corners of his mouth twitched in suppressed laughter, and a sardonic grin twisted his face. "Well, well, well. What have we here?"

Hatter was sitting on Alice's bed, the Cheshire nowhere in sight. But the five flowers that had been in the vase, the ones that had got up and crawled away in the face of the Cheshire's wrath, were sitting with him. Literally, sitting by him, on him, and with him. They had no faces or mouths, only petals bending and flexing for expression, and their leaves served as hands and feet. A royal blue iris with gold accents sat at his side, almost a foot and a half tall with long, dagger-like leaves. A deep red and yellow tiger lily sat on his shoulder, its dark green leaves twining about in his hair to hold on. The most curious looking one, or rather, several, was surely the chain of violets that had twisted themselves into a humanoid form, barely a foot high. It sat shyly on his hat, peering over the brim to observe things going on.

Sir Charles was sitting off to the side of the bed, two white daisies making odd chirping sounds as they sat on his shoulders. He would nod occasionally and insert a completely random comment, as if he was actually having a proper conversation with the little things.

Hatter glared at the man as the little creatures kept climbing up and around him, the flowers hanging off him like ornaments on a tree. "Not a word about this to anyone, you bloody bird, or I swear I'll"--

A loud sound like a roar sounded from the tiger lily that startled both men, and Dodo suddenly had the feeling that all the flowers were staring at him. And they were hostile. Both of the daisies' white petals turned down as they turned to face Dodo, the tips suddenly much sharper-looking. The iris's leaves dragged along the bed sheet, leaving a jagged tear where it had cut through. The tiger lily looked perfectly capable of tearing out his throat as two of its petals turned down like fangs. And the violet-chain creature had picked up Hatter's pocket knife, wielding it like a sword as it stood on his hat. Hatter kept very still as all this happened, but a small smile stretched over his face since none of the things seemed to be looking at him.

"Now, now, Harbinger, there is no need to upset the little darlings," Charlie said mildly as he gently touched the long stems of the angry-looking daisies.

"Call off your little pets, Hatter," Dodo said, never taking his eyes from the flowers.

Hatter's smile turned to a grin. "You know, I asked about these little things the last time I saw the Cheshire. Turns out that it made a whole new set of creatures when it got angry, and these little bits are the results. It said that they like me. And I don't like your tone, and I really don't like you." The violet-chain shifted its grip on the knife. "You know, I think they might get violent if you don't get a bit more polite."

"Indeed," Charlie said jovially, perfectly oblivious to the tension around him. "They do so love to attack things that don't like them. Or ourselves, actually. Er, I mean, things that attack us, not that they would attack us, no, these little ones are quite sweet to us. Those harridan nurses and a few bothersome Suits found that out in a rather...interesting way." He lifted his dreamy gaze to the Librarian. "You don't mean any insult or harm to us, do you?"

"Of. Course. Not. My sincerest apologies," Dodo said through clenched teeth. "I did not mean to sound rude or abrupt when I came in. Your master and I have had disagreements in the past, but I'm certain that we can put them behind us so that we might work together in harmony. May I come in?"

The flowers paused as if considering his words and then turned to Hatter. Hatter stared hard at Dodo, judging his sincerity before he shrugged. "Sure. But lets be sure to keep the politeness going, eh? No guns or swinging fists, and we'll be fine, savvy?" The plants relaxed their stances, and the violet creature put the blade away as it sat back on Hatter's hat.

"Much better!" Charlie said, smiling as the little creatures resumed their chirping on his shoulders. "What? Oh but of course, I'll take you two little dear yachting with me! I know a river passage in the Forest of Waif with the most dazzling views, oh, you'll love them."

Hatter didn't even blink at the oddness of that statement, far too used to it by now. Dodo shook his head at the bizarre situation as he came into the room. "Perhaps it would be better if we kept this conversation private, the Librarian said. Certain things I must tell you are--_sensitive_."

Hatter frowned, but glanced over at the Knight. "That alright with you, Charlie?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, of course, of course. Come, my compatriots!" He scooped up the daisies carefully, walking out of the room. "To the cafeteria!! Onward, to pudding!!"

Both Hatter and Dodo stared after the man as the door closed behind him. "And this is the man that helped you break into the Hearts Casino?" Dodo asked in stunned disbelief.

"Trust me, the fact that we survived that still amazes me to this day," Hatter said, shaking his head.

"Well, now that he's gone, we can get down to business. I have here the effects of the late Court Magician, as the Cheshire requested." He handed the books and the handle to the nearly over-flowing cart to Hatter, along with the Magician's file from the Resistance's archives. "The books are his many writings about his studies of the Old Magics of Wonderland, from the Mushrooms of Change to the Jolly Door, and even an in depth study of the magics of the Kingdom of the Knights. The knowledge contained in these books is beyond any price. And now I have to give them to _you_," he muttered.

At an angry hiss from the iris, he adjusted his tone. "I believe I have discovered what purpose the Cheshire has in wanting you to have the Court Magician's books. In these tomes are the secrets of the Old Magics, and the notes on how he banished it from Wonderland."

Hatter looked up from the file he was perusing to cock an eyebrow at Dodo. "Come again? _Banished _the Old Magic? Now, I might not be some fancy Magician, but even I know that nobody's got the power to do _that_. No one could tame the Old Magic."

"I'm never wrong. And when was the last time you saw a bit of the Old Magic around Wonderland, hmm? There's a reason none of them work anymore. And you would be surprised at just how powerful Haigha was," Dodo said, a distant look on his face as he remembered the Magician. "He was a brilliant man, a genius without parallel. His skill was so great that even though his power could have torn down the City with barely a thought, he could make the most delicate glass ornaments that could move on their own that were only an inch high. His potential was incredible! People trembled just being in the same room as he! And the Queen manages to execute such a man because of a _woman_," Dodo spat.

"I was wondering about that," Hatter said, his tone clearly saying that he thought Dodo was exaggerating the Magician's power.

Dodo glared at the man. "Does the name Malkie Turrel ring any bells?"

Hatter's brown eyes immediately narrowed. "What does my mother have to do with this?"

"Haigha Hatter, the Court Magician, was engaged to the adopted sister of Griffon Turrel, Malkie," Dodo said. He held up a hand to stop Hatter before he could speak, "I have checked the records and the certificates of death. Everything is very clear on this point. Before Haigha was killed, he filed to have Griffon Turrel as the guardian and godfather of his unborn child with Malkie Turrel. Haigha had worked with Caterpillar to create the Resistance to oppose the Queen, and with the Magician on their side, they were assured of victory. But Malkie was captured and taken hostage by the Queen in her first trimester of pregnancy, six months after she was engaged to Haigha, and it is recorded in her medical files that she was dosed to poisonous levels with Forgetfulness."

"Poisoned? You mean she was overdosed, not still using Tea?" Hatter said in shock. _So that's what was wrong with her for all these years. She was still trying to get over the overdose_. It was notoriously difficult to not only survive overdose on Tea, but to even function afterwards. If Malkie had been overdosed, she was basically like a mentally handicapped person running with scissors. A danger to not only herself, but everyone around her. For the first time in years, Hatter wondered where she was, and if she was even still alive. And he wondered how his uncle could have let her just run off with someone else.

"It was considered a medical miracle that her child survived," Dodo said blandly, ignoring his questions. "But the attempted poisoning was enough to force Haigha to obey the Queen. He used all of his power to bind the Old Magics on her order, so that no one could use such power against her. She was so afraid of Magic that she ordered all children that showed any sign of the talent to be killed, with no exceptions."

Hatter flinched at the very idea. He'd heard of the practice when he was young, but had never known what the killings were for. To think it was for some reason like this, that no parent could ever predict or protect their child from, just made it worse.

"Haigha died from the efforts of the binding. And Malkie Turrel disappeared from her prison cell, child not yet born, with Griffon dropping off the radar and bringing her to the Great Library to hide. Griffon was certain that her child would have Magic, and had vowed to fulfil his promise to his deceased friend to protect his only son. And indeed, the child did manifest some small bit of magical power. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about."


	26. Chapter 26

This chapter is the second half of the previous chapter!!

....good lord, I'm going to be flambeed for this one.

Chapter 26

_"Haigha died from the efforts of the binding. And Malkie Turrel disappeared from her prison cell, child not yet born, with Griffon dropping off the radar and bringing her to the Great Library to hide. Griffon was certain that her child would have Magic, and had vowed to fulfil his promise to his deceased friend to protect his only son. And indeed, the child did manifest some small bit of magical power. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about."_

*&*&*&*&*&

Hatter stared at Dodo, the tiger lily on his shoulder sensing his growing distress and nuzzling his jaw in comfort and the violets began petting his hat. His teeth were clenched together in anger as he spoke. "Right then. You really expect me to believe all that rubbish? That I've got magic? Sure." He held up a hand to hold off Dodo's words, his Western Wonderland drawl becoming more pronounced from his emotional state. "All of that aside for now, lets try something a bit more based in reality, yeah? Like, why did Uncle Griff let my mother just go off with some guy? Why didn't he take care of her? Uncle--he wouldnt' just abandon his sister!"

"Is that what he told you? And who said anything about abandoning?" Dodo asked, arching an eyebrow. "She disappeared a few months after you were born. The Resistance searched for her for years, but no trace of her has ever been found. We couldnt' even determine who abducted her. If it was the Suits, they would have found out where the Great Library was, and since it still stands, its moderately safe to say that she's not with them. But no other group with a motive to steal her away exists. Now if they wanted her to use against you, or to control you, I could see that"--

The iris and tiger lily hissed at him and he scowled back at them, "That's not being rude, that's being honest! There's no reason to just take her and never make a move on Hatter. Of course, it could just be that she wandered out the front door when Duck and Owl weren't looking. As I understood from Griffon, Malkie always had a nose for mischief, even after she was--_altered_."

Hatter glared at him. "Altered. Like she's a bit of painting that you spilled oil on. You son of a bitch, you're talking about my _mother_!!" The iris and violets screeched in anger with the tiger lily at the older man.

"Your sudden concern speaks volumes. And before you ask, we know nothing more about her," Dodo growled at the man's attitude. "Its as if she dropped off the face of Wonderland. Your uncle searched for her whenever he could, but protecting a child like you was a full-time job." He suddenly looked a bit awkward and looked away from the young man. "Malkie always said any child of Haigha's would be a handful. My condolances," he said uncomfortably. "For all her faults, before she was _altered_, she had always sounded--er, excited about you. She looked forward to being a mother. If nothing else, it is sad to see her dream shattered through no fault of her own."

Hatter unclenched his fists and relaxed his tense muscles. The urge to knock the bastard through the wall had been almost overwhelming, but remembering that this might endanger Alice had been enough to calm him down. The flowers were still looking rather hostile, though. He put thoughts of the little things aside as he tried to go over everything that had been told to him. "Alright, putting _that _behind us for a minute, lets review. You mean to tell me that I've got Magic?" _Good god, to think that's the lesser news in all of this_, Hatter thought in shock. "That I'm Haigha Hatter's son, and I've got his Magic?"

"No, you bear his surname because Griffon thought it would be a good joke--Of course you have Magic, you idiot! Didn't you ever wonder about that sledgehammer fist of yours?" Dodo asked in exasperation. "Your Magic has been trying to manifest, and that is the method that worked best with your untrained mind."

"But if I've had Magic all this time, and Uncle Griff knew about it, why didn't he tell me? Hell, why didn't he train me?!" Hatter shouted, his emotions swirling between shock, hurt, betrayal, and anger. "I could have attacked the Casino with Magic, I could have got the Oysters out of there without bloodshed, I could have saved so many people!"

"Griffon Turrel knew no Magic, and no magician or witch was left alive that could teach you. Even if he could train you, you would have been dead within two months of trying," Dodo said bitingly. "You think its easy to hide Magic? People with Magic light up the dark, Hatter. The energy around them cracks and sings with power. No one with working Magic can hide for long. And Griffon knew that. He thought it better that you survived and had a childhood rather than make you into a weapon with an expiration date like some of the Resistance members wanted."

Hatter narrowed his eyes at that and his voice was bitter when he spoke. "A weapon, huh? That figures."

"You're the last of Haigha's line. He had no siblings or cousins, no other relatives even through marriage, but for you. You have the talent for Magic, but whether its up to Haigha's level remains to be seen," Dodo said, clearly skeptical at the idea. "While you've had no training, it can still be harnessed, although its unlikely to be as strong as if you had been properly trained from your youth. So I suggest you get reading," he motioned to the books by Hatter's side. "No doubt the Cheshire wants you to undo your father's last work and set the Old Magics free."

Hatter's thoughts were spinning. This was all so much to take in! "But how? I don't know how to use any bloody Magic!"

"Learn," Dodo said firmly. "And you will learn, or the Cheshire will have something to say about it, I'm sure."

Hatter leaned back against the bed, absently lacing his fingers with Alice's as the flowers shifted to adjust to his stance. Her touch helped him calm down, and clear out the frustration and worry that had been tearing through him. "This is going to take a bit to get used to."

"Then brace yourself," Dodo said dryly. Hatter cocked an eyebrow at him, as if asking 'what now?' Dodo obliged. "We've already said how your mother was adopted by the Turrels. Do you know what family line she was adopted from?"

Hatter frowned. "Uncle never said."

"Nothing whatever?"

"Nothing whatever," Hatter snapped. "Only thing he'd tell me is that before she--was poisoned," and god, was it going to take time to get over _that _little revelation, "that he had always been trying to protect her from something, but he wouldn't tell me what."

"I see. You know about the Royal families being, eh, _reduced_, by the Queen, I assume?" Dodo asked. Persecuted might have been a better word.

Hatter nodded, wondering at the sudden conversation shift. "Yeah, it started back when she first started taking over the other Card Kingdoms. Why?"

"That would be what Griffon was trying to protect her from," the Librarian said simply. "Malkie was originally a Spade. A Grand Duchess of the House of Spades, to be precise. The Turrels took her in their family to try and protect the last of her family's line, as the Turrels had served the Spades loyally for many years. That was how she met Haigha. An arranged marriage to try and ensure her the protection of the Court Magician, but with the happy coincidence of love accompanying it," Dodo said with a roll of his eyes.

Hatter might have been overwhelmed, but he wasn't ignorant as to what such a title meant. The title of Grand Duchess wasn't of the gentry, like knights and lords, or nobility, like barons and marquises. Grand Duchess was royalty. As in, one step down from a princess, _its-a-high-probability-of-wearing-a-crown-when-somebody-dies __**royalty**_! He was flat out gaping at Dodo now. "No. No, I don't believe you. I don't believe this at all. First you tell me my father was the Court Magician, and that I have some kind of Magic. Then that my mother was poisoned into loosing her mind and taken away, and that's why she's been gone all this time. Now you're trying to tell me that my mother was a _Royal_? That _**I'm **_a Royal? Pull the other leg, its got bells on it!"

"Believe it or not, but the records of lineage are perfectly clear. Unlike the Diamonds or Hearts, the Spades as well as the Clubs acknowledge any child born out of wedlock to their royal lines as legitimate heirs. Thus, you have been in line for the Throne of Spades since the day you were conceived. And with your maternal cousin, the late King Samuel Alowicious Spade, shuffling off this mortal coil no less than," Dodo checked his watch, "38 hours ago, you are now the only Royal Spade left alive and--_relatively--_sane. You are now the sole ruler of the Spade lands and territories."

Samuel Spade, sadly, was found to have been driven Mad in the efforts of drying out and declared unfit to govern before he'd been killed by an assassin later that same day. Some suspected that it was the work of the False Nobles, trying to sabotage the last known member of the Spades to destabilize the Shuffle Alliance, and both Caterpillar and King Jack agreed with that theory. There had to be a Spade King, or else the Kingdom could fall to civil war over the land and resources of the Spade territories. And being the son of the Court Magician would only increase Hatter's standing in the eyes of his new kingdom.

Upon finding out that Hatter was the sole surviving Royal Spade, Dodo had been seething with anger. Somewhere, some cosmic force out there was laughing at him, he just knew it! (A.N; And yes, the author is laughing manically at this point!)

"You are so full of shit, your eyes are brown," Hatter said dazedly, barely able to breath from information overload. "You're lying. You have to be. There is _no way I'm some __**bloody **__**King of Cards!!"**_

"I am never wrong." Dodo gave him a mocking bow. "King Samuel Alowicious Spade is dead and cremated. Long live King David Cephas Turrel Hatter of the Royal House of Spades. Hmm. Or more accurately, since the Hearts came to power, the Minister of Spades. Don't you just love politics?"

Dodo went flying through the wall from the force of Hatter's punch, the flowers hissing and roaring in approval of their new friend's shot.

*&*&*&*&*

And for anyone that thinks Dodo was a bit OOC about Malkie, let me put it this way. If Dodo ever met the Cheshire, Malkie is who he would see.

......please review.


	27. Chapter 27

Okay, a bit of filler that's necessary for the plot, mostly detailing a few things and getting stuff ready to be in motion.

And don't worry, the Hatter/Alice action shall be back shortly! The poor girl was very seriously injured, after all. Not to mention, its not entirely up to her when she wakes up. The Cheshire is taking her Time, and until Wonderland recognizes it, she'll stay unconscious. But she'll be back with us shortly.

Recommended reading: 'Tumbling into Madness' by Laialda. A Harry Potter/Alice, 2009 crossover fic, with Harry being adopted by Hatter after the Dursleys are kidnapped by the White Rabbit Agency. Wonderland has much magic, and Harry grows into a new home, new friends, and new abilities, all before the age of 11. And when Alice arrives, the fun really begins! Extremely awesome read, guys, seriously. A little angst, lots of family fluff as Hatter becomes like a big brother to Harry, and of course, loads of adventure!

Chapter 27

Rudolphus de Liberus Heart surveyed the damage with a detached glee as fire started to spread from the burning warehouses at the edge of the city. Screams could be heard as the poorer people of the district ran in terror, several too weak or too slow to escape the fires and the raging Mad Men let loose by the False Nobles. _And we are False Nobles_, Rudolphus thought smugly. _For soon we will no longer be nobles, but the new Royalty of Wonderland. Why bring back the Queen when we can make our own monarchy? She was terribly mouthy anyway._

The fact that he was really sticking it to that arrogant excuse for a Heart, dear old Jack, just made it even better. Rudolphous wondered how the new king was dealing with the other little present he'd left in the Hospital of Dreams. His spy had been successful in not only killing the Minister of Spades, but Jack's mother as well. Since the Spade Minister had actually been liked, his body had been found quite quickly. As no one except for that fool husband of hers had ever liked the Queen, Rudolphous was fairly certain it might take as long as a week for anyone to notice that the old hag was dead. HIs spy had drugged her to sleep and then overdosed her IV of sedatives with the pure Tea of Regret, of all things. How delightfully ironic.

He turned away from the sight of the burning carnage of the town, calmly walking over to the waiting transport and motioning his guards to follow him. The barely robed girls within the car immediately offered him delicate glasses filled with brilliant jewel-colored liquids, and other, more physical, distractions. He gladly indulged his baser desires, happy with the way nearly all his plans were working out.

Now if he could just get his spy moving forward with infiltrating the mission into Tulgey Wood, things would be perfect. They needed the Stone of Wonderland, not just for the symbol of power to help solidify any claim to the throne, but to open the way through the Looking Glass. Most of the remaining Oysters from the Casino were too well guarded to retrieve for now, and without the Carpenter to render the emotions down, they couldn't even begin to build the equipment to make more Tea. Once the spy was in with the mission, they could bring the Stone to him, and he could force the Mirror open.

His spy could take out the new Minister of Spades as well. It just wouldn't do to have someone else have the prize his dear spy had been promised, now would it? That Hatter in a position of true power, hailed a hero of Wonderland and Consort to the New Alice of Legend and the new King of Spades? Unacceptable. His spy would just have to take care of it. And he would. The man was quite devious at getting people to trust him.

Rudolphous smiled. And once his little plan for that meddling Oyster Alice was through, the Carpenter would be begging to come work for him. Rudolphous chuckled as one of the Tea-addicted girls slipped her head down around his hips just as that last shot of lovely, lovely Tea kicked in. Things really were going just so well.

* * *

At the Hospital of Dreams, Robert and Caterpillar were rejoicing, the entire team of Egg-Men shouting and cheering. A few of them were actually dancing in their geeky way, with one bold couple kissing quite deeply. They had finally found it! A cure for the addiction to Tea! Safe to use, no side-effects that they could determine, and the components were easily found all over Wonderland. The scientists had good reason to be joyous.

The only problem was dispersal. It could be injected into the bloodstream like a vaccine, but to vaccinate the entire population of Wonderland in time to prevent more Mad Men from forming was completely impractical. They were still working on a way to get the medicine to the people of Wonderland in time to actually do some good, but for now, a little joy went a long way for the team's morale.

* * *

Down in Alice's room, the flowers were basking in the windowsill, soaking up the sunlight. Small dishes of water and soil were beside each one as part of Hatter's efforts in figuring out how to take care of the little things. As annoying as they could be, the violets were starting to grow on him. At least in affection. They had stopped hanging off of him and had taken to exploring the rooms and hallways of the hospital, always returning to Alice's room within the hour. The plants were also helping him to take care of things with Alice, from combing her hair (which the iris took great pride in) to alerting the nurses when her IV's were running low (a job the noisy tiger lily took obscene delight in).

The daisies were seeing to Charlie, and had somehow become his attendants, keeping him out of trouble and out of the nurses' hair, to the women's everlasting gratitude. Charlie was keeping himself busy with trying to track down the Cheshire; why, was anyone's guess.

Hatter had been preoccupied from doing those things himself as he had been going through the late Court Magician's books and journals with a vengence. The cart had been loaded with the dead man's library and few magical trinkets they could recover from his destroyed home. Dozens of reference books, biographies, spell books, and rune studies could be found there, along with nearly hundreds of hand-written files on every topic of Magic. The young man's mind boggled that Haigha had written all of those, as all of it matched the hand-writing in his three personal journals.

Those, Hatter had read first. He had always secretly wondered what his father was like, for all that he had never intended to seek him out. To find out that his father had not only been a founder of the Resistance, and the most powerful Magician Wonderland had ever seen, had been more than a bit of a shock. The journals revealed another side to Haigha Hatter; a funny, dryly sarcastic side that was so much like Hatter's own sense of humor that it was nearly scary. Haigha had been curious, intelligent, charming, and quite cunning when it came to dealing with the politicians of the Court. He could manipulate the bickering factions of the Court with ease, and was gifted in making people come to beneficial agreements. (Hatter wondered just how much of that was genetic, as the similarities between father and son were striking.)

And Haigha Markel Hatter had been deeply, passionately in love with Malkie Valentine Turrell. Hatter was astonished at the way Haigha had seemed to change when the entries began to talk about the woman that his father had so badly wanted to marry. He sounded--not softer, but less cynical, less sarcastic. He sounded like she was his hope, his light in the dark. And when the journals' entries spoke of the news that she was pregnant, the absolute joy the Magician had felt seemed to seep off the pages when they were touched. Haigha had been ecstatic at the news that he would have more to his family, a new wife and a child that he already loved. _'After all, any child of Malkie's will be beautiful and brilliant, and if I'm lucky, they'll be tough too!' _Haigha had written. _'I almost hope all the children we shall ever have will be girls. One can't have enough sons in the founding of a dynasty, and I do want a son so dearly, but if the Powers that Be decide to bless the Universe with another little Malkie, I could count myself a thrice-blessed man.'_

It was an amazing thing to know that your parents wanted and loved you, especially when you never got the chance to know them. Hatter had been floored by all this, but in a good way. A determination began to grow within him, and it grew stronger with every word he read. He wanted to make his parents proud of him. He would undo the Queen's will that had been forced on his father; he would learn his father's arts and use them to set things in Wonderland right. He would find a way and free Alice from the Cheshire. And he would use this Magic to find and help his mother.

Hatter had then immediately set upon the books of Magic. Several of the thicker tomes were bound with intricate locks built into the cover, and spelled with runes to not open. He'd looked those runes up in the reference books and had marveled at what they meant. Each book was set to open whenever the reader was ready to use them. Not 'I want to read and use' but 'I'm actually ready to read and use'. When Hatter's own Magic reached the level these books were meant for, they would open for him, and not a moment sooner. Only the reference books, biographies, and journals didn't have these locks.

When he'd questioned Dodo about those, as they were works of Magic but still working, the older man had laughed at the boy's stupidity. He'd pointed out that Haigha had banished the Old Magics, not anything newly created. The unicorns and golden lions, the true Clocks of Time, the Jolly Door, and the hundreds of Rabbit Holes; all of them were the works of the Old World, the Old Kingdom of Cards that the first Alice of Legend had toppled. Nothing newly magical would have been bound by Haigha's geas.

Charlie had pointed out that his Black Arts were also a part of that type of Magic, being a Mental Magic that had been all but abandoned over the years. Dodo ignored the old Knight's ramblings, but Hatter became thoughtful at that. After all, the old Knight was almost solely responsible for finding and rescuing Alice from the Casino the first time they were there, all through the use of his 'Black Arts'. Maybe there was more to them than a senile old man's ramblings. Hatter had quickly looked for and found a few entries on the Mental Magics, confirming that they did indeed exist. It just had a much higher failure rate than other Magics, and thus was rarely used. Only a true Adept had anything like reliable results, and Charlie was the closest anyone had come to that title in more than a hundred years. Hatter had given the book to Charlie to study, to the older man's delight. The daisies had looked rather relived to have the Knight stay in one place for longer than five minutes while he meditated.

Hatter had then found two books in the cart that looked almost brand new; slim volumes bound in soft green leather with the faintest impression of a Spade on the spines. They had no titles, but were filled with hand-written instructions on how to learn and use Magic. The books had notes and explanations written for every arcane art mentioned in their covers, and they were written in a way that made it sound like the author was talking to the reader, not just repeating what they knew.

From the journals, Hatter had confirmed his theory that those two books were Haigha's writings meant just for him. Haigha had written the books for his unborn child; that in case anything happened to him, his child would still be able to harness their gifts, if any presented themselves. Hatter nearly devoured those books. He studied and memorized each word and page, carefully going over every detail to ensure that he got it right. It was hard work, but it was going to be so, so worth it.

* * *

The Cheshire yawned from its perch on the city hospital's roof, still in its Hatter form. It blinked sleepily as the energies of Wonderland began to slowly reach out to it, welcoming it home. Once Wonderland could start recharging the beast's powers, it could really get things done around here. Much like hooking the software programming up to the hardware. The hardware (Wonderland) can mostly function, but lacks the knowledge or ability to really do anything. The software (the Cheshire) would give it purpose, tell it what it needed to do to maintain, grow, or adapt.

Like adapting to the return of the Old Magics, of Wild Magic, of the beautiful Chaotic Magic that the Cheshire was composed of.

"Finally," the beast murmured. "Now to get some real sleep"--it twitched as it felt something approach. "Hmm. Better hold off on that nap. It looks like some entertainment just might finally show up."


	28. Chapter 28

Finally, the return of Alice!! Enjoy, peeps!!

And merciful mother of God. Nearly 500 reviews?! I bow before you all. Thank you so much for all of your support and kind words.

Chapter 28

Currently, Hatter was in deep meditation, trying to reach within himself to find the source of his Magic like the books had said he'd need to do. Of course, it had a tendency to nod off into actual sleep most of the time, but he was still trying. Charlie had actually been quite helpful in this regard, helping Hatter to clear his mind and push away all distractions from his mental focus. Those books were really paying off. Hatter stayed with Alice in her room as he attempted to meditate, finding it easier to concentrate when she was around. Charlie preferred the courtyard, with its flowers and natural garden to help him 'obtain further insight into the Astral Realm', whatever that meant.

Hatter had started to worry about those poor daisies after he saw them both curled up into Zen stances on Charlie's shoulders. He then concluded that whatever special brand of senility the old knight had was contagious, and the daisies had it. The iris and tiger lily had seemed to shiver in horror when he'd voice that thought out loud. The violets just looked oddly thoughtful.

Hatter had just slipped from his attempt at trance into sleep, and blinked as he saw Alice lying beside him in the bed of his apartment above the Tea Shoppe, both still fully clothed. He swallowed nervously as he remembered everything he'd said in her hospital room, every dirty secret and sin he'd done. "So....you heard?"

She nodded.

He couldn't help his small flinch. "Everything?"

She nodded again.

"And"---he heard the Cheshire's words echoing in his mind, _'Loves you anyway. Fancy that_,' ---"you're okay with all that?"

She smiled, knowing which part he meant instantly and reaching up to cup his cheek in her hand. "Hatter. You tried to help people, even when you had to be a spy. You tried to do as little damage as you could. And in the end, you did help save all the Oysters. You did it, Hatter, they're safe now."

He could barely look in her eyes, guilt and shame eating his insides. "Alice, I helped make demand for that Tea, for the White Rabbit agents to go and get more of your people to suffer and die"--

"If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else," she pointed out. "At least you cared enough to try and stop people from getting too addicted. You used the rumors and news you heard to try and help the Resistance. Do you think any other Tea sellers were doing that?"

"That doesn't make what I did less wrong!" he cried.

"...no, it doesn't," she agreed softly. She knew that nothing could change that, no logic could soften it, and nothing she said could lighten that load on his conscience. Alice let her hand trail down from his cheek to under his jaw, her thumb stroking against his lower lip. "But it will never make me care about you any less." A change of subject was needed for now. "So, um, are you angry that I didn't say anything about the Cheshire earlier?" she asked.

"No," he said quietly, grateful to be talking about something else. "I don't think I would have believed you, even as a dream. Did you know about the dream fasting?"

"No," she answered. "I thought the Cheshire was just giving me something to pass the time while its getting stronger. I had no idea that it was doing some kind of spell on us."

Hatter nodded, accepting her words. "In a way, I guess it makes things easier. You--You know everything already, no awkward conversations or confrontations or any of that. But...it said....it said that you love me?"

Alice felt a fleeting moment of fright. Was she ready for this? Was he? And what if--no. The girl consciously stomped down her insecurities, shut down her self doubts as much as she could. They had been through too much to let her own psyche stop her now, dammit! It was time to change. It was time to take a chance, really take a chance. She'd been thinking about this the whole time they'd been dating--er, dream fasting. Every smile and kiss, every look and glance exchanged between them, every touch; they'd led to this moment. And dear god, she could think of no one better to take that chance with than her David Cephas Turrel Hatter.

She smiled for him, and it lit her whole face into a look of joy and love that took his breath away. "Yes, I do."

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight, unwilling to let go of such a miracle. _Whatever it takes, I will not waste this second chance, I will not let her go! _He summoned every bit of courage and will he had and finally found the means to say the words out-loud. "I love you, Alice."

She pulled back enough to look into his eyes. "Thank you," she smirked.

"Alice! I'm being serious," he laughed, suddenly remembering their first kiss and the words he'd said to her.

"What?" Her smirk turned to a grin. "You gave me a gift I'll treasure for the rest of my life. In my world, after that, you tell someone 'thank you.' Is that not how it works here?"

"Cheeky brat," he murmured, kissing her deeply enough that it left them both breathless. "So..." He swallowed hard against this next topic they needed to discuss, no matter how much he wished they could just ignore it for now. "What about the royal thing?"

"What about it?"

"Wha--what do you mean, what about it?!" He gawked. "I'm a Royal! A bleedin' Royal Spade, of all the diagonal things! I'm supposed to be all ruling and law-abiding and, and--stuff! You can't tell me that doesn't change things!!"

She nodded. "Because it does."

"And I know it--wha--wait, what exactly does it change?" Hatter asked nervously. He'd meant that it changed his world, his perception of almost everything. He hadn't thought it would change things between them. "Alice?"

She saw a flash of silver before her eyes, a startling view of the hospital roof and the skyline of the city, then there was a blink and then nothing but Hatter in front of her once more. But warmth was quickly flooding her system, growing hotter with every second until it was burning! The young woman suddenly gasped, arching up off the bed. "Alice?!" Hatter cried, the look of utter shock on her face scaring him, "What's wrong?!"

She gasped for air, unable to catch her breath, "I--I think, I'm w-waking"---she vanished from his sight.

He jerked up from where he sat, his conscious mind slamming back into his body with enough force to almost knock him over. "Alice!" he called, twisting to face her and trying to get up off the floor. To his utter wonder, she was stirring in the bed, her eyes slowly blinking open. "Alice?" he said softly, rushing to her side and taking one of her small hands in his own. "Can you hear me, love?"

The tiger lily and iris leaned over the bed rails to peer closely at Alice, their petals fluttering as they saw her moving. The violets nearly fell off Hatter's hat in shock when her hands twitched. She blinked hard, trying to clear the sleep from her eyes, and gave him a small, tired smile. "Hey, Hatter."

Hatter never noticed the tear that slipped down his cheek as his grin stretched wide enough to rival the Cheshire. "Hello, hello, my lady love. Its good to see those beautiful eyes again, you know," he said as he cupped her cheek.

Alice leaned into his hand. "Same here," she murmured, coughing hoarsely. He immediately got her a glass of water and straw, not letting her sit up on the bed as it could aggravate her still-healing injuries. The iris raced out of the room, running down the hall to the nurses' station, but the tiger lily beat it to the punch as it roared out in triumph and happiness at their master's joy. The iris squeaked in indignation as three nurses and a flustered doctor ran to the room, but the little creature caught a ride on an orderlies cart as he wheeled it down the hall.

Less than an hour later, Robert Hamilton was barreling down the hall, meeting with the doctors and an ecstatic Hatter. Alice Marie Hamilton was pronounced to be in much improved health, and would be able to leave the ICU in less than a week. She would be in the hospital for another month after that, and would need at least two months of physical therapy, but she was recovering well.

Hatter never left her side, not wanting to miss a minute of her beautiful eyes being open. And though she was awake and eager to talk, by an unspoken agreement, the 'royalty talk' was postponed. For now.

The Cheshire smiled softly from his perch on the roof. "Finally awake, my little pet. Good. Now, your Hatter can get back to work. My eye won't wait much longer." It glanced off towards the horizon, "And neither will those chipper little creatures coming closer. Or is it creatures with teeth like little wood-chippers? I can never tell those things apart..."


	29. Chapter 29

Hi guys! Thanks to everyone that's encouraged me, this chapter is for you all! And man, more than 500 reviews?! The mind boggles, and I bow before you all.

Chapter 29

Caterpillar approached the room with some trepidation. Inside the small hospital room were the two people that had shaped the fate of Wonderland, and by hieritage for one and association for the other, would shape its future as well. He knocked quietly, trying not to startle or react as a tall blue iris-creature opened the door. It cocked its flowered head at him, as if asking what he was doing there. "Hello," he said to it in his slow, methodical voice, thinking it best to treat the creature like a person since it acted like one. "I was hoping to speak to Lord Hatter and Miss Hamilton if they're available."

The flower looked him over, betraying no expression with its deep blue petals despite its air of superiority. It looked inside the room and made a rather imperial sounding squeak. Caterpillar recognized Alice's soft voice saying something in return, and the iris opened the door fully to let the old man in. The iris shut the door firmly behind him as an orange and red tiger lily flower seemed to watch his every move from the window sill. As Caterpillar glanced about the room, he saw the old Knight with two white daisies on his shoulders, happily chittering away at the man as if he could truly understand him. Perhaps he could.

"Hello, Mr. Caterpillar, come on in," Alice said with a small smile. "I'm glad to see you again.

"Hello, Caterpillar," said Hatter with a slight shift. He still sounded a bit nervous meeting with the older man, as a death threat in case of Madness does tend to color your view of someone for a long time.

It did require some effort for the elder to not smile at seeing the chain of violets that apparently stayed on top of Hatter's hat. Hatter was sitting on the bed with Alice, apparently sharing some kind of take-out dinner. "Hello Lord Hatter, and the same felicitations to you, Miss Hamilton."

Both of them looked surprised at his greeting. "Lord?" Hatter cocked an eyebrow.

"You are the ruler of the Spade Kingdom," Caterpillar said, "with all the responsibilities and the rights and privilages that go with it. Your proper form of address should be King, or perhaps prince, but with the treaties and policies as they are right now, Lord Hatter or Minister of Spades is the currently used title. Of course, that is completely disregarding your title as the new Court Magician," Caterpillar continued. "That is still a nobility title, after all, and 'Lord' is perfectly appropriate for such. Speaking of which, how is the magical training going? Are you feeling any interference with your Magic from your Madness?"

"No, nothing like that. But I haven't quite got it down yet," Hatter admitted uncomfortably, and trying to talk a bit faster than normal. He was not ready to have the royalty talk yet! "I'm still trying to do the basic ever-light spell."

"But he's almost there," Alice said, taking his hand in support, sensing his discomfort. "You can feel it when he gets close, its like static electricity all over the room. It makes my hair stand on end."

"The daisies aren't that fond of it either," Sir Charles muttered.

"Excellent. It is a relief to hear that your Madness is still kept well in check despite the energies of the Magic. And your progress is much farther along that I had thought it would be, if you are already producing tangible effects," Caterpillar said. "I am surprised, though, that you are taking this so well, Miss Hamilton. As I understood it, Magic is unknown in your world, is this not correct? Are you not shocked that Lord Hatter is a Magician?"

"Its not that Magic's unknown, its just that no one believes its real," Alice said. "And I'll admit, I was pretty surprised that Hatter can do magic. But after seeing everything here, I'm not that shocked. Besides, its like he's a Wonderland X-man, so its not scary at all."

All three men and most of the flowers turned to look at her oddly. "X-man? What's that?" Hatter asked.

Alice laughed a bit. "That's right, you wouldn't know. The 'Incredible X-men' are a story, a comic really, about a group of people from around the world called mutants, people born with different ablitlies. Like magnetism, or super strength and healing, lifting things with their mind, or even changing shape into other people. Its all about their adventures with evil villians and stuff like that. They made a lot of movies about them too. Hatter would fit right in with them with his right hand, especially with his magic."

"So there are people like me in your world?" Hatter asked in some surprise.

"Oh no, its not real, its ficitonal. You know, like--" Alice trailed off at the look on Hatter's face. '_Does this look like some kid's story to you?_' Wonderland was real, and she'd thought it was just a story all her life. What if--oh great. Now she'd really have to pay attention to the tabloids. Because 'what if', right? "I'll get back to you on that one."

"Most intriquing," mused Caterpillar. "I am glad that this will not be an issue between you. On another note, I regret that the Resistance has not the means at this time to reward the both of your for your actions in freeing our world from the Queen's tyranny. In lieu of such, please let myself and any other members of the former Resistance know if there is anything we can do to assist you, in any fashion."

You could have knocked David Hatter over with a feather at those words. "You...you're serious?" he asked dazedly. He'd been fairly low on the Resistance's ladder of importance, and now he was being bumped up to a major player by the boss himself. That was certainly a big change. He and Alice were basically given a blank check that some of the most powerful people in Wonderland were willing to cash.

"Of course," the old man said quietly. "It is the least we can do. And now we all are looking forward to seeing what kind of king you will become, Lord Hatter. Duck and Owl are particularly proud to say that they knew you back when you were 'common like them.' Ah, forgive me," he glanced down at his coat pocket, where a sudden faint whistling sound could be heard, "but I must return to my duties at the Hospital of Dreams. Your father has discovered a means to disperse the Addiction's Cure in time to help the more unfortunate of the addicted, and I must assist him in putting the plans together. I hope that your recovery is swift, Miss Hamilton. My Lord Magician," Caterpillar bowed politely to them both and left the room at his curious pace.

Hatter and Alice exchanged looks as the door closed. "How is it," Alice said to the room at large, "that he always manages to tell you something and still make you feel like he asked you questions at the same time?"

"A true Son of Wonderland," Hatter said in reply, shaking his head.

"Son of Wonderland?" Alice asked.

"Someone with the true Wonderland in their very veins," Charlie said jovially. "A true paragon of the Old Kingdom, er, even if they weren't born then. A person very true to their roots, I would suppose one would say."

Hatter summed it up with the famous motto of Wonderland. "After all, love, we're all a little mad here."

"Wow," Alice said in reply. She glanced at Hatter and smiled with a look at his hat. "Does that make you a true Son of Wonderland too?"

Hatter looked rather stunned at the idea. "I guess it does," he said, a grin tugging at his lips. He locked his brown eyes onto Alice's green ones, and his grin slipped off his face. He knew he couldn't get out of this talk any longer. "Hey, eh, Charlie? Think you can run and get Alice some of that pearberry fruit she likes from the cafeteria?"

"Of course, Harbinger! I shall go forthwith!!" The elderly man blustered out of the room, the daisies still perched on his shoulders. The iris and the tiger lily took one look at Hatter and hustled off behind Charlie, the violets dropping off Hatter's hat and racing to catch up with the others. It stopped at the door and turned back to Hatter, giving him a few firm chirps of encouragement before it closed the door behind it.

"Smart little things, aren't they?" Alice said softly.

"Yeah."

"You thought of any names for them?"

"Ah, the daisies are Thing 1 and Thing 2, but only they know which is which. The iris is Bossy, the lily is Horn, and honestly, I'm not sure what to call the violets. I'll think of something. But I don't think its flowers we need to talk about, yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded before she looked straight into his brown eyes. "So you really are a king?"

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p' to try and lighten things up. It fell flat though. "Are, ah, are you angry with me?"

She blinked at him. "Angry? What for? You didn't know! Its not like you set out to complicate things."

"Thanks," he said.

She caught his look of uncertainty and pulled him closer for a quick kiss. "Are you worried about being a good king?"

"Oh yeah," he said, his face paling as he nodded. In truth, he hadn't gotten a bit of sleep longer than three hours, always waking to dreams of terrible failure. "What if I'm awful? Terrible? What if I completely screw things up?! Alice, I don't know how to be a king!"

"Do you want to help your people?" she asked firmly, shoving aside any of her own worries about this. "Do you want to make things better? Make the world a better place?"

"Yes," Hatter said fervently. "But Alice, I"--

"Are you willing to _work _to make the world better? It'll be long nights with no sleep, and working with idots and all those self-important jerks that make government a living hell. Can you put up with stupid politics and even worse red tape, if it will help your people?"

He made a face at her words, but nodded. "Yes."

"Will you get up and try again if you do fail?" she asked softly. "If your people hate you for your mistakes and make fun of you or throw things at you? Will you still do your best to do what's best for them and do it the right way?"

Hatter startled at her words, never really thinking about that part of royalty. The young man thought it over now, asking himself if he could resist the urge to use his new power to be petty or get revenge when people pissed him off. Could he still be the good guy even if he had the full means to be a true villian and love every minute of it? He shuddered at the idea of being like the Queen of Hearts, and gave her his answer. "Yes, Alice, I will."

She smiled at him. "Then you will be a great king," Alice said, absolutely no doubt in her voice. "You're smart, clever, dedicated, and you don't take shit from anyone. You'll do fine."

He stared at her, shocked by her certainty. "You really do believe that, don't you? Thank you, Alice. I needed that." Hatter kissed her softly, carefully leaning into her shoulder. "Earlier, you said that this changes things. I get the feeling that you meant between us. What exactly did you mean?"

She looked at him with wide green eyes, letting her own uncertainty show at last. "Hatter, do you really think I could be of any help to you? Don't you think people will think its strange, you dating an Oyster?"

"After the fantastic pep-talk you just gave me, you really have to ask?" He shook his head, "You'd be perfect"--

"I don't know the first thing about politics, or law, or any of that!"

He tried to get a word in edgewise, "Neither do I"--

"What if I said the wrong thing to the wrong person?"

"I'd apologize for you"--

"What if I insulted someone and ended up causing a war?!"

"Then I'd fight to my last breath to protect you," he said, his tone deadly serious. "No one will ever touch my Queen."

She froze, her eyes going wide in surprise. "Your Queen?" It was too soon, wasn't it too soon, oh god!! Was he serious?! It had only been--wait, how long had it been? She mentally counted, stunned at her answer. Less than two weeks in real time, but if you counted dream time, that would be about---good lord. Dream time accounted for more than two years of courtship. Of talks and dates and fights and falls and nights of passion and love. Was that enough time?

To Alice's mild shock, yes, it was.

David Hatter swallowed hard at what he'd said, but stuck to it. If he was a bloody King of Cards, then he would use that position as he saw fit. And he would see to it that she was protected with everything his kingdom had. "Yeah, my Queen. If you'll have me."

"Really?" she asked in a small voice. "But Hatter, you--you could do so much better"--

His jaw dropped in shock. "Are you serious?!"

"You could have any lady you want, Hatter, you're a King! You could have princesses or duchesses or ladies of any Suit you want and you'd be more than worthy of any of them! You deserve much better than a defense instructor, David Hatter." She looked down, unable to meet his eyes anymore. "Much better."

He stared at her, his brown eyes wide in dazed confusion. "I almost want to ask you who you're talking about. I--I'm no one special, love. The Royal things is just a fluke, really. But you, you're Alice, sweetheart, don't you get it? You're honest and brave and true. You brought down the whole House of Cards near single-handed. Its me that's lucky, don't you see?" He stroked the side of her face, privately reveling in the feel of her soft cheek in his hand. "It's you that can do better than me."

"You really want me as your Queen?" she asked, tears pooling in her eyes that she kept trying to blink back. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," he said in utter certainty. It suddenly turned to levity as he pointed out, "After all, someone has to help keep me in line. I'm not really all that good at social things. They're all a bit boring once the booze is gone."

"I imagine a King has a pretty big wine cellar," Alice said with a small smile.

"Thank god for that. I just might survive these political things then," he said quietly, his smile falling to a more serious look. He took one of her small hands in his own, the other still cupping her cheek. "I would have no other for my lady. My wife. My Alice of Legend. Are you sure you want me?"

She found a laugh and the tears escaped her. "Always and forever, Hatter. My husband," she said, as if tasting the word. She found a good taste and smiled at him. "My King. My Mad Hatter. I love you."

"So that's a yes?" he asked, just to be perfectly sure. "You'll be my wife and queen?"

"Yes," she laughed at the eagerness in his voice. "Yes, I will marry you and be your queen."

"And I will marry you and be your king," he said softly, unknowingly completing the words spoken by royals of the Spade line for hundreds of years. He leaned in and kissed her with all the passion he had for her, and she answered with equal fire.

Unknown to them, a silver glow covered them both for a full minute before fading into mist and then the air. The dream fasting was completed. The binding between them was strong and sure. Nothing could break them apart now. Not even death.

And for that, the Cheshire smiled with all its gleaming, sharp teeth. "Ah, the last step is complete. Hmm, I think Charlie had best hurry back with those flowers. The little wood chippers are almost here." It squinted a bit as it looked toward the disturbance. "Oh my. Mad Men and Monsters are coming. Even better than little wood chippers! Much more entertaining and destructive too. Oooh, I can't wait!!"


	30. Chapter 30

Hi guys! Here's the action the Cheshire's been promising. Hope you all enjoy, as I can't write a fight sequence to save my life.

Recommended Reading: Unexpected Delays by catesy. The Looking Glass malfunctions, and Alice is stranded in Wonderland. Hatter keeps his promise to take care of her, but with political troubles, Oysters in danger, and the mysteries of the Mirror, that may be much harder than he thought...

Chapter 30

The flowers watched in fascination as their master carefully held his hands apart in front of him as he sat on the bed. Small yellow sparks were arching between his fingers and palms, and the man smiled at the sight of it. With some effort, he shifted the sparks so that they pooled together in his right hand. It became a ball of swirling sparks, glowing brighter and brighter. He cupped his other hand around it, his will compressing the ball into a brilliant dot of light. Hatter removed his hands and will, but the bit of light-magic remained, suspended in the air.

Hatter exchanged grins with a beaming Alice, nearly whooping in joy at completing his very first spell correctly. He kept his cool, not wanting to excite the energy and making it explode like last time. Alice kept an eye on the little flowers, making sure to hush them whenever they looked to anxious for their master so as to not disturb him. He reached over and brought out the small glass ball that he'd prepared with some simple runes, and slipped the light inside it. The light bounced around the sphere for a minute, then settled within its center, still glowing brightly. He juggled the glass a bit to test its durability, but the light was still going strong.

David Hatter found himself grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "I did it. I did it!! Ha!! I did it! Take that, Dodo! Can't make a ever-light, huh? I showed you!" Alice clapped and cheered for him, the flowers dancing around him in happiness. He couldn't help his laughter at his accomplishment. He had finally tapped into his Magic yesterday night, after hours of true meditation. It had been both boring as hell and harder than any work he'd ever done. Hatter never thought he'd say this, but thank god for Charlie. The old man had used his new-found skill in Mental Magics, (his beloved 'Black Arts'), and had helped Hatter remove any subconscious blocks or trauma that would prevent the young man from reaching his goal.

That had turned out to be the hardest part. Much sadness, grief, guilt, and loss clogged Hatter's mind and memories, and had affected his Magic accordingly. It had taken time and patience to slog through all those memories, to face them down and put them away, to the side of his thoughts where they belonged. After that, it was easier. He'd found the place of his Magic within himself; a frozen-over lake in the middle of a deep forest. The forest had been green and lush with new growth, surprising him since the water was frozen as if in the deepest part of winter. How all that had been inside him, he'd never understand. (Charlie claimed that it was a reflection of his heart and soul, and how guarded he kept it from everyone, with Alice's love and affection giving life to the trees, or rather, his heart. Hatter had just stared in bewilderment, not understanding a word the man had said at the time.) But he'd reached out to the frozen water, and with his touch, the water thawed. Huge cracks appeared in the ice, and water flowed up into geysers and fountains of fantastic shapes and sizes.

Hatter had felt freer and calmer than any time in his life, and when he'd opened his eyes, objects all over the room had been floating in the air. Sparks of electricity and light were arcing all over his body, and it felt like a strong wind was blowing. He'd almost been frightened by it, but then remembered what his father had written. _'Why should you fear anything you create? It is part of you, and can only harm if you mean it to harm. No manifestation of power can harm unless it is willed to harm. For it is part of you.' _

He'd smiled, and the room began to calm. The objects went back to their places, the wind calmed, and the sparks became a low hum under his skin. The five flower-creatures had come out from under Alice's sheets and ran to him, nuzzling and jumping all over him. Charlie had been ecstatic, dancing with the daisies in a frenzy. And Hatter had laughed in joy, kissing a very proud Alice. He'd found his own Magic, his own power. It was an amazing feeling. Dozens of hours of practicing his control had led to this small triumph, and he couldn't be happier with his Magic

"Great job, hon," Alice said with a proud smile. She couldn't help her slight smirk. "If we ever run out of light bulbs, you'll save us millions."

"Thanks, luv," Hatter said as he sat back on the bed, reaching out to crack open one of the books to try another spell when a loud boom rang out. A sudden shock shook most of the hospital, shaking one of the daisies off the bed with a squeak and startling everyone in the room. "What was that?!" Alice said, shocked. Hatter and Charlie raced to the window, even as the flowers leapt up onto Alice's bed, surrounding her in both comfort and defence. The men looked out, seeing seven men attacking the front of the hospital. But what they were--

Three were huge, almost four stories tall, with black patterns across their skin and streaking through their hair, ash and soot staining their tattered clothes. Their eyes were blank and staring, but their faces were contorted into grimaces of hate, anger, and pain. Huge hands were punching out the windows and pulling down the building's walls as the Mad Men roared. Terrified screams sounded as the staff and patients alike tried to escape them.

"The Mad Men are attacking?!" Hatter asked in shock.

"No, Harbinger. Only three are Mad Men. The others are not Mad Men," Charlie said in horror, raising a shaking hand and pointing to the others. "They are Monsters, twisted beyond any hope of redemption or salvation. They enjoy what they are now."

One was the size of a normal man with bare scraps of clothing hanging off his emaciated body, but his skin was bleached white like bone. Bones grew out of his spine, and his arms were more than eight feet long. It jumped like a frog as it attacked, the arms latching onto its victims and--Hatter grimaced in disgust and horror. It was draining the blood from every person it touched, leaving their bodies shriveled like mummies. Another was nothing but a mass of sick green tentacles that lashed out and left gouges in stone and flesh alike, its green fluids melting them away like acid. The other two were twins in appearance, warping into a mutant crossing of bird and man. Black feathers covered them both, shell-like beaks fused into their heads and black eyes wheeling wildly. Every caw and scream shattered glass and brick, shrapnel and debris raining down from the explosion.

"What do we do?" Alice asked, trying to keep her voice from trembling. Of all the times to be out of action!!

"You will stay here and keep safe," Hatter said firmly. "You cannot go out in something like this injured as you are, understand?" He thought that she might protest, but to his surprise, she nodded tiredly. "I know," she said softly. As much as she hated it, she was too injured to be of any use. "I just wish I could help."

He went over and kissed her cheek. "You've done enough for Wonderland, luv. Let someone else handle this for a while. Damn, Monsters _and _Mad Men. The False Nobles are behind this," Hatter spat. "Where the hell are the Suits?" Just as he asked that, one of the Mad Men suddenly paused and reached down, swatting the ground with one meaty hand. Four Suits went flying from the blow, landing with awful crunches and thumps. "Oh. Bugger."

"Indeed," Charlie said nervously. Another tremor shook the building. "Perhaps this would be a good time for a slight regrouping in more pleasant surroundings?"

Hatter sent the Knight a glare. "I'm not leaving Alice!"

"Ah. Yes. Good point," Charlie murmured. The daisies chittered loudly from the bed in a scolding tone, making the knight wince. "I know, little ones, it was beneath me to suggest such a thing. Forgive me."

Hatter shook his head as he looked out the window. "Oh well. You want something done right, do it yourself....blimey, this hero thing is going to my head, and not in a good way for my life expectancy," Hatter muttered. "Charlie, you stay here with Alice. She can get off the machines for a short time, so if you have to evacuate, get her to the Hospital of Dreams as fast as you can."

Charlie swallowed nervously, but nodded. "It shall be done. Be careful, Harbinger. Those things feel neither pain nor fear. They will not be easy to defeat."

"Promise me you'll be careful," Alice said, grabbing his hand in hers. She raised scared green eyes to his, full of worry for him. "I don't want to loose you."

He smiled for her, reassuring her as best he could. "You won't loose me. I promise, Alice. Love you."

"I love you too. Be safe."

"I'll try," he shot her a grin full of confidence that he didn't quite feel, but tried his best to hide that from her. Hatter told the flowers to mind Alice for a bit as he made his way down to the main entryway. (If the truth be told, he knew they would probably be Alice and Charlie's last defence if even one of those things made it in. That lily and violet were vicious little things, so Hatter had a bit of faith that they might at least distract the creatures long enough for Charlie to get Alice away.) He kept to the shadows going down the halls as the last people ran further into the building for protection. The Suits were firing from every available window, and a few flying-flamingos were already in the air, trying to shoot the Mad Men and Monsters down.

Unknown to Hatter, three Suits broke away from the seven that had been stationed around Alice's room, and followed him as he raced down to the hospital's first floor. They assumed flanking positions behind him, carefully looking out for any stray shooters or Mad Men that might be about.

Hatter pulled out the gun he kept in the pockets of his coat as he took shelter behind a piece of masonry in the ruins of the main foyer, carefully taking aim at the bone creature. It bobbed and weaved around the other Monsters, solid red eyes searching for new prey. And those eyes went permanently dark as a bullet screamed through its brain, killing it. Hatter smiled grimly. Those shooting lessons when he was a kid had paid off. The other Monsters tensed, immediately on alert. The Mad Men didn't seem to care. The Suits, however, cheered loudly at the shot.

_Well, there goes the element of surprise. Guess we'll have to do this the messy way. _Hatter knew he wouldn't be able to get another shot, not with those bird things tracking him. So he'd have to use his new-found gifts to help. But he didn't dare get close enough to punch them, and his ever-lights wouldn't do the trick--unless....He sent up a prayer that this would work and began to concentrate. Hatter never noticed the shots ringing out behind him, keeping the bird-men at bay as best they could. The bird-beasts were too fast to be hit, but they were given trouble dodging as a few Suits from above helped to pin down the things. The green acidic mass slowly inched its way closer, the bullets not even bothering it.

The young Magician gathered small threads of power from the waters of his internal lake until he formed the ball, and then he really began to pull on the waters. Threads of power became braids, then ropes, then thick cables as he focused on compressing them tighter and tighter into the ball in his hands. A simple ever-light was just that, light and warmth. The more power you put into it, the bright and hotter it got. And that was exactly what he was going to do; pump so much power into it that it would blind and burn whatever it touched. Hatter ignored the feeling of his hands burning, the smell of singed skin hitting his nose and ignored as well. The hum of power drowned out the sounds of glass breaking, of the ground cracking and shifting as his power caught the Mad Men's attention. The ball of magic grew from a dot to a baseball, then a basketball. All the Mad creatures had their eyes locked on him as they drew nearer, the light from the magic lighting up like a miniature sun.

The Suits began to back away from the windows and the flamingos hurried to retreat as the brilliant light grew even brighter. It sparked and crackled as he grabbed it firmly in his hands, standing and staring down the beasts. The power fought like mad at being contained, straining and rearing against his control; he wasn't meant to do something like this so soon. The Mad Men stared stupidly at him before trying to reach for the power they felt, the bird-men opened their beaks to caw, the green tentacles reached for him--

"Boom," was all he whispered before he chucked the glowing ball with all his might. The shock wave of magical backlash knocked out power for a two mile radius, shattering windows and glass and destroying half the courtyard. Smoke and dust billowed up and around the blast sight, the wind barely stirring as the debris finally settled down. A still pool of green acid was dissolving the remains of one man-bird, while the other was a smoking pile of ash burned into a tree. The three Mad Men were twitching, shuddering wrecks of singed flesh, slowly shrinking down to their original size as the power consumed their Madness, killing them in the process.

Loud clicks could be heard as the emergency generators fought to start and then kicked on, restoring power to the city hospital. A dazed and smoking Hatter sat up, woozy from the power and looking distinctly singed around the edges. He looked around, wincing as he took in all the damage. "Uh-oh. Might have over-did that a bit."

"Sire! Are you alright?" A young male Suit ran forward, helping Hatter to stand. He stood on shaking legs, glancing up to the window to Alice's room. The glass was completely blown out, but the flowers and Charlie were waving at him, letting him know it was okay. "Thank god," Hatter said, before his legs gave out on him. "She's safe, they're safe, oh thank god."

"Don't worry, my lord, we've got you," another, older male voice said.

The last thing Hatter heard before he went unconscious was this. A relieved female voice spoke, "Thank goodness we've not failed our king on our first day of duty, or that really would be some kind of awful record."


	31. Chapter 31

I hope this one is better received than the last chapter.

Chapter 31

Hatter stirred, blinking open his eyes. He began to panic when he couldn't see anything in front of him. _Oh god, I blinded myself? _But he coudln't feel anything either. Not hot or cold, pressure or weight, just his body suspended in the black. Suddenly, the world shifted and seemed to pull him in every direction at once, now nearly screaming with color, sound, and texture. He flinched back, covering his eyes to adjust to the sudden light and sounds around him. He tried opening his eyes again. A toothy smile filled his vision and green, slitted eyes blinked open in front of his face. "My, my, Hatter-boy. You sure know how to shake things up! Great job on the fireworks. Perfect for bar-be-quing, you know. Ah, crispy-fried Mad Men, now that's real cuisine."

"Gah!" Hatter flinched back away from the Cheshire, now in the (unknown to Hatter) famous form of a purple and pink striped cat with rolling yellow eyes. "Can't you just say you're here like a normal person?"

"What's the fun in that?" Cheshire said with a blink. It smiled. "Guess what? You're dreaming! You passed out after that little light show and the Suits took you up to Alice's room to recover. She's promised to beat you bloody for that stunt you pulled. Her words, not mind, you know."

"Good to know," Hatter said, sitting up in the midst of a wildly colorful forest. Leaves were hot pink, hunter green, and a nauseous yellow all at once, and the tree trunks were an eggplant purple. The ground was oddly colored too, with blues, purples, and greens blending and merging all around. Honestly, he was afraid to find out what color the sky was. He glanced around, wincing a bit. "Good lord, a bloke could go blind in here. Where are we?"

"A child's dream of Tulgey Wood," the Cheshire replied, hopping up onto a branch and settling in the tree's wood. It slid through the wood and down the trunk to stand beside Hatter again. "Alice's dream, actually. So, now that things are settled with your Magic, you can do me a favor."

"Unleash all the Old Magics, right?" Hatter asked, sure of his answer.

"What? No! Of course not, you twit! You can't do that!" the beast said in shock.

"Wha"--now that threw him for a loop. "W--Well, what did you want me for then? Learning Magic and about my dad and everything and its not what you wanted me for?"

"It is what I want you for, you pathetic excuse for a Magician, now let me finish," the Beast said airily. "You don't have all the pieces yet. To the Lock. You have one piece with you, but not the others. Once you get my eye from Tulgey Wood, then you can rebuild the Lock and set the Old Magics free," it said in a huff.

"Lock?" Hatter asked.

"The Lock that keeps them all locked up, of course," the beast said. "You'll find them all over Tulgey Wood. Collect all the pieces while you're getting my eye and all's well."

Hatter cocked an eyebrow at it. "But you can get your eye now any time you want to. Alice is awake. You don't need her, so you don't need to wait anymore."

"Ah, not quite," it said with a grin. "You see, she has a piece too." With a blink, it was gone. The forest was completely empty.

"What?" Hatter asked in bewilderment. "Alice has a piece of what? What do you mean? Give me a straight answer, dammit!" With a start, he jumped in his bed, wildly looking around.

"Hatter? Hatter, its okay, you're safe," Alice said, reaching out and taking his bandaged hand from her bed, that Charlie and her father had pushed closer to his so she could reach him.

He smiled in huge relief. "You're alright. Oh thank god."

"Do you feel okay? I know you're hands must be hurting"--

He glanced down at his bandaged hands and winced. "And I just got off the Skeleton Repair not that long ago," he sighed. He saw only one IV going into his arm. "But no, I'm feeling pretty good. What have they got me on?"

"A lighter version of my stuff," she said with a smile. "I'm so glad you're okay. You're lucky its just second degree flash burns."

He smiled back at her. "It was nothing I couldn't handle--ow!" She had just punched him in the shoulder. "What was that for?"

"I read up on that little stunt you pulled in your dad's book. You could have killed yourself drawing out so much magic!" she scolded. "What were you thinking? Hatter"--

"I couldn't let them get any closer to the Hospital!"

"Hatter, you could have died! You promised me!"

"They could have killed you if they'd broken in!"

"You promised you'd be careful! That was not careful, dammit!" she cried, tears starting to form in her eyes. "You can't take crazy risks like that, Hatter."

He had frozen on seeing her tears, honestly stunned by them. She was so worried for him that she was crying? No one had ever done that for him. He glanced down to where their hands were still joined, the whole time they were arguing. "You're right."

"I mean it, Hatter, you can't--what?"

"You're right," he said quietly, reaching over and cupping her cheek in his wrapped hand. "It wasn't careful, and I broke my promise to you, and I'm sorry. But I'm not sorry for taking those things out before they could hurt you, or anyone else. I'm not sorry for using my Magic to defend you. I will never be sorry about protecting you." He had the scars to prove that.

She dashed the tears from her eyes. "I know, Hatter. I love you, but please don't do stupid stuff like that. If you can help it," she amended. "Jeez, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm starting to think you have a saving-people thing."

"A what?" he asked with a bemused smile.

She blushed, "I'll explain later. That, or we can smuggle you some Harry Potter books when they get the Mirror working." She saw his grin go into overdrive and arched an eyebrow. "What's that look for?"

"Smuggle?" he asked in glee. "Did you say you would smuggle me some books? Alice Hamilton, I am shocked, just shocked, young lady. Shocked but proud!" he crowed. "I'm engaged to a budding con-woman!"

"Oh lord," she muttered, rolling her eyes even as she started to chuckle. "Oh god, babe, don't make me laugh, my stitches still hurt."

"Do you need more painkillers?" he asked, instantly serious. "Is your IV drip not working right? I'll go get the nurse"--

"That won't be necessary, sire," A voice said from the doorway. A tall, older man knocked on the door frame, apparently waiting to be invited in. Hatter frowned a bit, but waved him in. The man looked to be in his forties, with greying black hair and stern face with brown eyes. He was built lean but strong, and Alice immediately appraised his fighting potential. In her opinion, he looked like he would be competent in a fight, but she would have to wait and see about that. The man walked to the foot of their beds and went to one knee. "My lord King, we are here to serve."

Hatter blinked, not used to being called that. "Excuse me?"

"Myself and the Royal Guard shall serve your needs, my lord. And your lady's, of course."

"And who are you?" Alice asked.

"I am the Head of the Royal Guard of the Suits of the House of Spades, Marion deGates. The Jack of Spades, at your service," he said. "Myself and the other Guards have been guarding this room for you, to ensure your safety. Calvin, Hobbes, approach."

Two more Suits knocked politely at the door before stepping inside. Calvin was a young man with brown hair and hazel eyes, with a face made for laughter. He smiled at both Hatter and Alice before making his face serious and professional. Hobbes was an older woman with red hair and serious look in her green eyes. Both were Aces of Spades. Good morning, sire, the woman said formally. "How may we be of service to you?"

"Good morning," Hatter said stiffly, trying to get back his composure. "I--I was going to fetch a nurse for Alice."

"We'll call one for you, sire. Will that be all, milord, milady?"

Alice startled a bit at the 'milady.' "Um," she exchanged glances with Hatter, "sure. I mean, yes, that will be all."

The two Suits bowed to their monarch and his lady before they left the room. "Oh lord," Hatter breathed softly. "That's different. Fun," he grinned, "but different."

"I'm glad you approve, sire," the Head Guard said with a hint of dryness.

Hatter took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I assume you're here to catch me up on the situation in the Kingdom."

Marion's expression flickered a half second with surprise, but it was gone in an instant. "Yes, sire. Or would you prefer to have this conversation later?"

Hatter, no slouch at reading people, knew what he was really asking. "Now is fine. After all, I will have no secrets from my lady. What you can say to me, you can say to her."

Alice startled a bit at this show of trust, but smiled at her lover. "Thanks, Hatter. Or should I say, milord?"

"Oh no, don't you start," he muttered. "Next thing you know I'll be getting airs and graces. I'm counting on you to keep me grounded, luv." He turned to face the Jack. "Now then, lets get down to business," Hatter said, his entire demeanor changing to fully serious. He had a kingdom to run. Marion filled him in on the major political scene, about the new alliances made and agreements come to by the Spade proxy, the Nine of Clubs. Hatter frowned but nodded, after all, he hadn't been named as King when the Club made those decisions. He told the Head Guard to summon the Club as soon as possible to discuss things, (as he wasn't too proud to admit that he would need all the help he could get at running a kingdom and an experienced adviser would be a huge help.) He then moved on to the internal affairs of his Kingdom. Alice listened intently, determined to help Hatter if needed.

The internal affairs of the House of Spades was fairly sparse. Very few members of the Spade line were still alive. Hatter was quite shocked to learn that he had four very distant cousins in the nobility of the line, all under the age of twelve. They would rule their fiefdoms and holdings by regent and proxy until they came of age at fourteen. Other than that, only three other Spades (of entirely separate Spade lines) were still alive, and had divided the two dozen titles and responsibilities among them. Well, some had. Two had defected to the False Nobles. Hatter immediately nullified their claim to any lands, holdings, businesses, money, privileges and duties. He would try to cut off as much unwilling support from his people to those bastards any way he could.

Others were minor nobles and gentry, mainly the bulk of the Spade Army and Regulators. The Regulators were the ones that ran the pipe mazes and power lines throughout Wonderland, and had as high a ranking as most nobles. They ran their own guild, and had promised to send a representative to meet with King Hatter at his earliest convenience to receive their new orders.

Hatter had shuddered at the use of his title. And a tiny part of him was thrilled with it too. But out of excitement or fear, he honestly couldn't say. Alice noticed this, and took his hand, silently showing her support.

On a more personal note, Samuel Spade had about a dozen mistresses that would need to be dismissed. Compensated and checked for pregnancy, of course, but dismissed. Hatter was very firm in that he would have no other woman but Alice. (She mentally made a note to reward him for that statement as soon as she was better.) Hatter also made sure to order Marion to gather any children Samuel had, that he might raise the young heir properly. After all, the Spades accepted bastard children's claim to the throne as perfectly legitimate, and Hatter wanted no infighting in his House later on. Any child of Samuel's overrode his claim to the throne, and the young man would be sure it was given their due when they came of age. He'd heard of too many stories of feuding siblings and cousins tearing entire kingdoms apart with civil wars.

More practical matters were in a much worse state. Samuel had done very little of running the Kingdom and more dreaming while on Tea. The Kingdom's revenue was decent, but getting close to a big problem if a proper budget wasn't introduced soon. The water and power would have to be restored to the outlying lands, both of Wonderland itself and for the Spades. While the Kingdom was better off than the rest of Wonderland, Hatter wasn't satisfied with that. The Regulators were going to have a field day by the time Hatter was done with them. The education system would have to be restored, along with rebuilding thousands of schools, hospitals, banks, communication systems, and especially restoring the agricultural system, which Tea usage had nearly destroyed completely.

Hatter shook his head in horror at the giant mess his predecessor had left him. Several files were scattered over their beds, and Marion had gone to fetch the others that they might need. "Good lord, this is a bloody mess! Didn't he give a rat's ass about any of this? This will take years, maybe even decades to fix, and I guarantee it will almost bankrupt the Kingdom no matter how good a budget I make."

"You have time, Hatter," Alice said, taking his hand in hers. "You're not doing this alone. We'll find a way to make it work."

He laid his head on her shoulder. "I'm glad you've got faith. Thanks, Alice." He frowned a minute. "Hey, I just now wondered. Where are Charlie and the flowers?"

(Outside in the ruins of the courtyard)

Charlie sat in a meditative pose next to a shattered marble bench, so deep into his trance that he didn't even speak his chant. The daisies sat on his shoulders, also in a Zen position. The other three flower creatures were surrounding the Cheshire, who was still wearing the form of their master. "Ah! Hello there, little ones, it greeted them. Thing 1 and Thing 2," the daisies unconsciously nodded, "Horn and Bossy, and--I'm sorry, what did he name you?"

The violets squeaked.

"Pixie. How original. Now little ones, I have a job for you. A very special job. It concerns the little quest our dear King Hatter will be going on here very soon...."


	32. Chapter 32

Sorry its late, folks. Real life bit me hard.

Chapter 32

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation as he sat through the Shuffle Alliance meeting. They had already hashed out most of their responsibilities and contracts, and most of the projects were underway. Hatter had met with his kingdom's former regent and agreed to nearly everything, but for a few minor details that had been worked out favorably. He'd immediately called for the Regulators after his meeting with Marion, meeting with the guilds and houses of his kingdom and working with them to schedule and set up contracts to accomplish the many goals he'd set for his people. One of the Regulators would be assigned to every province and hamlet of Wonderland to get a better idea of what needed to be done, and would be working closely with every noble and regent to get the job done. Nearly every member of the council, even Caterpillar, was surprised at the aptitude of Hatter for ruling a kingdom.

He'd even dressed the part, sort of. An eggplant purple silk shirt with silver paisleys patterned over it was matched with a deep, nearly black hunter green suit that was tailored to fit him, and it showed his lean figure perfectly. His hair was almost neat, the wild spikes and flyaways toned down without being slicked back, and he was, for the first time in many a person's sight, without a hat. A platinum pin of a spade with a stylized K was tucked into his lapel, his mark as the King of Spades. And no one could mistake the ring on his left hand, a band of platinum studded with emeralds that matched the one currently worn on Alice's left hand back at the hospital.

Duchess Diamond unconsciously relaxed at the sight of it, the engagement ring of the Spade Royal House. Alice was now firmly out of Jack's reach, and she prefered it that way. Although she did wonder if it would be appropriate to ask Alice to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. If she would be well enough in time, that is.

Jack flipped through some of the files the Alliance was currently reviewing, trying to keep things in line. The Kingdom of Cards was slowly recovering, but it still had some problems of mammoth size. Of the 200,000 odd Oysters left in the kingdom, nearly 800 had been confirmed as killed by Tea Heads. And more than 10,000 were missing after raids by the False Nobles on the safe houses and the Mirror Hall. The False Nobles were getting worse, as now their supplies of Tea were running out. And with no Tea to suppress it, the Madness was eating their members faster and faster, swelling their numbers of Monsters and Mad Men. How they were controlling the things was anyone's guess.

Of course, this meant that attacks were coming more frequently, and with more casualties occuring. The rest of the Oysters were getting very agitated, several thousand petitioning to join the Suit Armies to try and defend themselves. Most specifically, the Spade Army Suits. Especailly after they heard that Alice, the woman from their world that had helped destroy the Casino and defeat the Queen, was engaged to the King of Spades.

Jack was against it, of course. Granted, those people had a right to defend themselves, but he didn't dare arm a very large group of people that had a huge grudge against Wonderland itself. And Hatter, of course-

"You've got to be kidding me. You mean to tell me you have a potential reserve army, ready and very motivated to take on the False Nobles and their Monsters and Mad Men, and you told them no?" the new king asked in exasperation.

"Of course, the fact that they want to join your Army of Spades has nothing to do with your opinion. They could very well attack everyone else in Wonderland to get revenge," Dodo snapped.

"They don't want revenge, they want to go home," Hatter said firmly, refusing to loose his temper at the old bird like he knew Dodo wanted. "They want to protect themselves long enough to get the hell out of Wonderland. Why would you want to stay in your former prison, let alone try to rule it? Let the poor souls at least defend themselves instead of sitting there, helpless in the face of creatures that want nothing more than to drain them dry as they lay dying. Besides, we have the weapons to arm them and a general to lead them."

"Oh? And who might that be? Yourself?" Micheal, King of Diamonds asked with a slight sneer. He would reserve judgement on this Hatter until he had more facts known about him.

"Me? Hell no. I'm no good with military things," Hatter said casually. "No, no. That would be my lady Alice."

"Alice?" Jack said in shock. "She doesn't know anything about fighting a war!"

Hatter arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you serious? You don't know?"

"Know what?" Jack frowned in confusion.

"Firstly, Alice was captain of her high school Chess team and led them to several dozen victories in state and national competitions," Hatter said. Many a noble gasped at that, thinking that he meant Chess Armies that might exist in the Oyster World. Only Caterpillar, Dodo, and Jack knew otherwise. "She knows strategy better than nearly every general of my Suits. Secondly, her mother, Carol, is what is known to Oysters as an Army Brat. Meaning that she was raised by a military father that taught his only child all he knew about military things. And she made very sure that Alice was taught these things as well. My Suits," he could not help his slight smirk at saying that, "have convened and she has completely reordered the Army and Guard into a much more efficient force, and has already started a training program for them that should get them up to properly fight within a few weeks."

"Might we borrow her later on?" The former Minister, and once again King of Clubs asked. "I've been meaning to talk with her about a similar idea for the Club Armies, and she would be well compensated for her time."

"I'll make no promises without the lady's permission," Hatter said with a polite nod to his old business partner, "but I'll speak to her for you."

Jack sighed, but given that he was running out of Suits, he gave in. The Hearts and Club Armies were stretched thin just trying to guard the government buildings, hospitals, and few trade and import routes that were still bringing goods into the city. They had nowhere near the amount of Suits needed to guard the Oysters too. The fact that more Oysters hadn't died or been kidnapped was due to their own defending themselves with anything they could get their hands on. "If you will assume responsibility for them, then add them to your Army, Hatter, and on your head be it if something goes wrong. Once the Looking Glass is operational, off they go" He shifted the topic before the Spade King could protest. "Caterpillar, how are the preparations going for the expedition to Tulgey Wood?"

"Everything has been ready for a few days now, and we are ready to leave at a moment's notice," the older man replied. "The Cheshire has already agreed to help calm the creatures of the Wood and allow us safe passage through, and the best maps available have been used to chart the route."

"And just why has it taken so long to get going?" Dodo drawled. "The sooner the Oysters are gone, the sooner our troubles will be over. And the sooner that wretched Cheshire will be gone."

Hatter laughed at that. "Are you serious? You honestly think that cat cares about the Oysters? He doesn't give a rat's ass about them, or about what any of us think or want. All he wants is his eye back. And if he gets his way, he'll shut the Looking Glass down for good."

"But dozens of our operatives are still on the other side, most of them with families here and over there!" King Micheal objected, almost letting his worry for his people show. "The White Rabbit Agents must be returned first."

Several other nobles and trade guild masters were alarmed at that news. "But the trade agreements"-

"The supplies needed"-

Jack slammed the gavel down on the table hard, a huge crashing sound echoing through the room. He sent a glare at Hatter for blurting out the Cheshire's plan, but knew as well as anyone that you can't take back words already said. "Enough! We will try to reason with the beast as soon as we have the Stone of Wonderland back"-

Hatter couldn't help but roll his eyes as he quietly muttered, "Yes, because trying to boss the incarnation of Chaos always goes so well."

-"and that is part of the reason that it has taken so long to get the expedition to Tulgey Wood underway," Jack went on. "The Cheshire has worked to clear our path of most of the more dangerous creatures of the Wood. Our Court Magician," he sent a look to Hatter, surprising most of the Court that hadn't known that a Magician was left in Wonderland, "has been training to get his powers up to the task of navigating the Wood and reaching the Water and Power Plant. We finally have everything ready. All we need now are the volunteers to go."

Hatter arched an eyebrow at that. "Oh? And who else do you want on this demented feild trip? I'm going, three of my Royal Guard, and two of the Regulator Guild Masters are along for the ride, along with my lady's father. Who else do you think we need?"

"You can't go, you're the only heir to the Spade throne!" One of the Spade proxies protested. "If we loose you, it will send the whole kingdom into chaos!"

"Then I best not be lost," Hatter said tiredly. "I have to go to undo the Blood Locks at the Water Plant. You know I have to go." The Regulators had been the ones to tell their king about his place as the head of the Regulators' Guild, and the only one that carried the DNA that could undo the special locks on the entrance to the Water and Power Plant.

The previous war with the Chess Kingdom and the severe internal fighting of the Card Kingdoms had forced the Regulators to create a special lock to prevent anyone from possibly poisoning or sabotaging the Water and Power Plant. This plant purified all the water for Wonderland's human population and the massive pipes provided enough hydro-power to cleanly run over 68 percent of all of Wonderland; thus, it required the King himself to open the gates to alter or change its functions in any way. Like restoring it to full output to power the outer towns and cities of the various kingdoms.

Or dispersing the new-found cure to Tea addiction that the Egg-men had found. They'd found a way to diffuse it in common drinking water, and it could be absorbed from exposure to the skin as well. No matter how it hit, the body could absorb the cure, and rid the body of addiction. Thus, Robert Hamilton would also be going on 'the demented field trip' to ensure that it was mixed with the waters properly.

"Very well," Jack said tiredly. "We will send a few volunteers with you for extra protection and to help locate the Stone of Wonderland. Go as quickly as you can, and return as quickly as you can. The sooner the Oysters are returned to their world, the better."

"Indeed," Dodo muttered, Caterpillar almost reluctantly nodding in agreement.


	33. Chapter 33

Guys, I am so sorry for the long wait for this, but this summer-good lord. Job hunting, more school classes, and now my kids are out of school. (Sigh) This is no longer a lark. Forgive me, my friends, but I have to go on hiatus for a while.

THIS WILL NOT BE ABANDONED!

But it will be a while before I can get another chapter up. Sorry, folks.

Chapter 33

Alice observed the three men before her in her hospital room. One was Calvin, an Ace of Spades and part of the Royal Guard; now her personal bodyguard while Hatter was gone in Tulgey Wood. The other was King Jack, there to discuss strategy and planning with Alice and to coordinate any supplies she might need for the Armies. And the other was-

"I still do not think it wise to let some Oyster girl, some common nobody, to lead the Armies of Wonderland," Dodo growled.

"Do not insult the lady in my presence," Calvin said in a dangerous tone, surprising Alice a bit. He seemed like such an easy-going person when she'd met him earlier. Best to nip any anger management issues in the bud right now.

"The King of Clubs agreed to sign over control to her after he saw her tactical prowess," Jack said, his voice straining to keep steady and calm. Dodo seemed to be absolutely spoiling for a fight, and for the life of the Heart, he couldn't figure out why. "We must trust his judgement."

"Thanks for the endorsement, Jack, but I've got this," Alice said. She turned a steely gaze to the Librarian. "I don't really think it wise to let a psychotically paranoid, hair-trigger gunman into a hospital where he might be threatened by people looking at him too much," she said sweetly. "After all, when you first met me in the Library, when I was completely unarmed and needed help, instead of peaceful explanations and negotiation, which would have gotten you the Stone of Wonderland with almost no trouble at all, you tried to shoot me."

Calvin instantly moved between Dodo and Alice, his hand reaching for his own gun. "You did what to my lady?"

The King of Hearts was in a similar state of mind. "You tried to shoot an unarmed woman? Have you no honor at all? Or common sense?"

Dodo glared at all three of them. "Perhaps we should focus more on the present, like the issue of giving command of multiple Armies of Cards to a complete stranger on the word of a conman?"

Calvin had his gun out now. "First you insult my lady and now my King? Truly, you are a fool," he spat.

"That's enough, Calvin," Alice said, a serene smile on her face at seeing Dodo's predicament. "For all his-faults, Dodo is still knows more about Monsters and Mad Men than we do, so we need to listen to him. We need a consultant, nothing more," she said with a look at the furious man. "You will have no influence over the Armies, do you understand?"

"Your arrogance will cost us lives," Dodo snapped.

"And yours will too," Alice said with forced calm. "You can either be calm and rational about this, and leave your smart mouth and Oyster grudge at the door, or I'll have Calvin throw you out the window and I'll have others search the Library for what we need. Your choice."

Dodo took several deep breaths and sat down to one side of her bed. "As you wish, madam," he said through clenched teeth. Calvin made sure to keep an eye on the man for the rest of the meeting.

"Well, now that that's over with," Jack said with somewhat forced cheer. "Now, onto the troop placement"-

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Tulgey Wood, a different sort of meeting was held.

Dozens of Heart Army Suits surrounded the perimeter of the Wood, not to guard the traveling party, but to stop anything from coming out of the deadly forest. By the last count, more than 140 Heart Suits had braved the Wood to try and fetch the Stone of Wonderland. Every last one of them failed; at least, they failed to return alive. A few had been flung back out from deep in the Wood by something strong enough to hurl them hundreds of feet in the air for more than a mile. Needless to say, the poor men were dead on arrival.

Hatter sat atop his brown-speckled horse, patting its sides as it stood before the great forest. He kept an eye on the many Suits out of habit, still not used to being in so much-er, governmental company without feeling the urge to flee. The horse could sense his urge and was dancing in place in agitation. "Easy, girl. This won't be so bad."

"You're kidding, right?" The Nine of Clubs said in a mildly panicking tone. "The Savages Swamp alone could frighten anyone! Its nothing but miles of slime trees and black mud that can suck a man and horse down in less than three minutes, and they say its filled with some kind of tribe of shadow worshipers that might be cannibals. And then there's the Darklight River that runs through the Wood; it glows with all the Tea that's been dumped into the water supply over the years and the fish have all been driven Mad and Monstrous in it. I heard the rangers say that the creatures that drink the water have all gone Monstrous too, and the whole Wood's filled with the things. Then there's the Stone Garden with all the moving statues right outside the Bloodlock Gate of the Water and Power Plant. And last but not least, there's some kind of living vine on the Water Tower itself, some kind of last resort guardian, I think. And that was before the water got infested with Tea. Now, who knows how terrible that thing's gotten. And now we have to walk into all of it!"

"Why exactly are you here, if you don't want to be here so badly?" Hatter shot back, barely holding onto his patience with the Suit. He took a few silent breaths to get his calm back. It wasn't the Club's fault that they were stuck walking into a place considered insanely dangerous by even Wonderland's loose standards.

"No choice," the young Club grumbled from his small brown horse. He sat very uncomfortably in the saddle, clearly not used to riding. "As former Regent of Spades, I'm obligated to fill you in on the royal duties and policies and then quiz you on them as we go. Samuel would have wanted me to make sure his kingdom was in good hands. No matter how much Tea he drank," Thomas muttered.

Hatter shifted a bit uncomfortably at that. He tended to forget that the Suit was his maternal uncle's only friend, and so must still be hurting over his loss. "Right. Sorry. So, Marion, when are we set to get moving? I'd rather not be riding through this place after dark." _Bad enough in daylight when we can see the monsters coming..._

"Soon, sire," Marion said from atop his own grey mare. "As soon as we have proof that the Cheshire has cleared our path, we shall be on"-the shrill sound of a cell phone rang out. Everyone glanced around to find the source, only to find Robert Hamilton patting down his coat and pulling the device out. "But...but I don't have a cell phone," he said in confusion.

"All the more reason to answer it," said Marion.

Robert shook his head at Wonderland logic and flipped open the phone. "Hello?" he said.

"Robbie! Oh sugar, have you missed me?" an exuberant voice exactly like Hatter's on a sugar-high shouted over the line.

Only one thing in Wonderland could pull off a trick like that, but Robert still stammered the name. "Ch-Cheshire?" the older man said in bewilderment.

"Indeed, my good man! Now, your little show can hit the highway or whatever it is and get moving. I want my eye back sometime this century, you know. Oh, and tell that Hatter boy that I want those pieces in a hurry too. See you soon, Robbie!" The phone flashed a brilliant light and crumbled to clods of dirt in Robert's hand. The shocked man glanced around at the others. "Damn cat. I suppose that means that its time to get moving."

Hatter steeled himself as the party of six entered into the thick, ancient forest. The pieces of Magic that the Cheshire wanted, the Stone of Wonderland, the re-activation of the Water and Power Plant, and the dispersal of the Addiction's Cure; all of these had to be accomplished as soon as possible. _Damn, when did I sign up for bloody Quests-R-Us? _


End file.
